Dec. 31, 2025

Ross Dress for Less is the latest national retailer to expand to Yankton.

It will open next year in the Yankton Mall, occupying a former Staples location.

The nearly 22,000-square-foot store will bring California-based Ross to the same revitalized mall that has attracted national retailers such as Hobby Lobby, Marshalls, Five Below, Shoe Sensation and Maurices.

Ross touts its department store brands offered at “extraordinary savings.”

“We have been working since early 2024 on bringing Ross to Yankton,” Matt Evans, owner of the Yankton Mall, said in a statement. “We are excited to offer yet another national brand at the Yankton Mall.”

After years of sitting mostly empty, the Yankton Mall was purchased by Evans in 2023. The improvements to the property were possible with support from Yankton Thrive, a community development initiative.

“This project was a huge risk to put together,” Evans said. “Without the temporary sales tax abatement incentive from the city, the numbers just didn’t work.”

Ryan Tysdal of Van Buskirk Cos. served as the leasing agent on the project.

“It’s encouraging to see municipalities like Yankton take control of their future by stepping up to secure new retailers, which ultimately leads to long-term sales tax revenue that would never have otherwise existed,” he said.

The Yankton Mall project is anticipated to be completed in the next year or so, Tysdal said.

“We are down to just a couple available spaces, ranging between 1,250 and 5,400 square feet,” Tysdal said. “It will be great to have Ross anchor the south end of the mall.”

Evans and Tysdal said they’re in conversations with national retail tenants for the remaining available spaces.

“These deals are incredibly complex and take months to negotiate,” Evans said.

Ross Dress for Less operates over 1,800 stores in 43 states. This will be the third location in South Dakota.

For national retailers, smaller towns prove favorable spots for growth