New businesses, expansions come to Southern Hills
By Joanne Fox / Journal staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, March 12, 2008Always a popular destination at Southern Hills Mall is the Kids Fort area. Joseph Solomon scoots down the slide. (Staff photo by Joanne Fox)
For possibly the first time since opening its doors in 1980, the Southern Hills Mall will be almost 100 percent leased.
And the reason is that big name retailers are embracing the mall.
Southern Hills Mall is the only regional, enclosed shopping center within a 90-mile radius of Sioux City. Anchored by Sears at one end and JCPenney at the other, the Mall includes other heavy-hitter retailers as Scheels All Sports, Younkers and Barnes and Noble.
"We are no longer just sandwiched between Omaha and Sioux Falls, overlooked by major retailers," said Kristen Walter, senior marketing manager. "For years, we were viewed as a secondary market by the leading retailers and I believe that trend is changing."
Over the past two-plus decades, some mall retailers have come; some have gone. Last year, the Gap store at Mall closed, three months earlier than anticipated and a Gap Outlet was announced to replace it. And last month, Wilsons Leather closed as part of the national chain's downsizing.
But opening at the mall will be Steve and Barry's, a national retailer that offers casual wear for the entire family, and Charlotte Russe, a national apparel retailer targeting young women. Those businesses join Hollister Co., a lifestyle brand of Abercrombie & Fitch. With those additions, come major expansions of Victoria's Secret and Scheels.
According to the National Retail Federation, total holiday sales started out very conservative with threats of a recession on the horizon, then exploded, due to last minute shopping, resulting in a four percent increase over last year.
"We had record sales for Christmas this year with the best Black Friday we can remember," she said. "Next year, we are thinking of having all the stores open at 6 a.m. for the shoppers."
Local businesses are still a staple at the mall, such as 6 South Designs, Kitchen Dressings and Wacky Bear Factory. However, 2007 had no new local shops embrace the mall.
"We love local businesses because they add flavor to the mall," said Walter. "But not many of our local businesses are interested in long-term leases, which is something that is appealing to large retailers."
Welcome nationals
Hollister Co., a lifestyle brand of Abercrombie & Fitch, opened on Feb. 15 in two combined store spaces to take up a 5,808 square feet of space. The 5,808-square-foot Hollister store is next to Champs Sports, between Center Court and the Sears Wing. According to its Web site, Hollister Co. specializes in California surfer-style apparel for teens and young adults ages 13 through 20.
Though it was started in 2000, Hollister adopted 1922 as the date of its establishment. The number 22 and a flying seagull logo appears on many of its items. Hollister has 24 U.S. stores and three stores in Canada. Store manager Michelle Hanson has been with Hollister since 2003 and has recently relocated from Minnesota to take the store manager job at the Sioux City Mall.
Charlotte Russe, a national apparel retailer targeting young women, plans to open a store at Southern Hills Mall in late May.
The 6,780-square-foot store will occupy two spaces between Center Court and the Sears wing, just west of a new Hollister store that opened last week. The retailer offers fashionable, value-priced clothing targeting young women in their teens and 20s. In addition to a wide selection of apparel, the stores carry a full range of accessories and footwear.
Steve & Barry's, a casual apparel retailer, will open its Southern Hills Mall store this fall. The 36,000 square foot store represents the fifth Steve & Barry's in Iowa and is part of an aggressive growth plan that has seen the chain double in size almost every year for the past decade, Walter said.
Calling the addition of the retailer, "a perfect fit" for the mall, Walter said Steve & Barry's, which sells most of its clothing at $10 or less, offers casual wear for the entire family, including a wide selection of jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts, polos, cargos and footwear.
In the past year Steve & Barry's has introduced four of the most high-profile and industry-changing product lines in all of retail, which includes its recent launch of Sarah Jessica Parker's Bitten apparel line, Starbury shoes from NBA player Stephon Marbury, the EleVen line by tennis star Venus Williams, and the dear line from actress Amanda Bynes.
Founded in 1985 at the University of Pennsylvania, New York-based Steve & Barry's operates more than 250 anchor and junior anchor shopping center and mall-based locations in 37 states. Currently, the closest stores to Sioux City are in Omaha and Lincoln, Neb.
Expansions
Scheels All Sports has started work on a 14,500-square-foot expansion of its 60,000-square-foot superstore. The store will remain open during construction. All work will be performed by local contractors, according to the company.
With the expansion, Scheels will showcase the area's largest selection of sports, sportswear and footwear under one roof. Modeled after Scheels stores in Des Moines, Omaha and Fargo, the Sioux City Scheels will features boutiques ranging from technical running gear and the latest fashion sportswear to spectacular hunting and fishing shops.
In 2003, Scheels moved its store from Marketplace Shopping Centre to its existing store, which was built in a portion of the parking lot of the Sears wing of Southern Hills Mall.
Scheels, headquartered in Fargo, operates 22 stores in seven Midwest states - North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Montana and Nebraska. In Sioux City, the company employs more than 100.
Victoria's Secret is expanding from 4,500 to 8,211 square feet. The store closed on Feb. 17 for the expansion but is open in temporary store space. The expanded store will re-open in early June. The store will have a double entrance and include a full make-up collection, twice the amount of pink merchandise, more fitting rooms and more registers, Walter said.
Southern Hills Mall regular hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Holiday hours and department store hours may vary.
And the reason is that big name retailers are embracing the mall.
Southern Hills Mall is the only regional, enclosed shopping center within a 90-mile radius of Sioux City. Anchored by Sears at one end and JCPenney at the other, the Mall includes other heavy-hitter retailers as Scheels All Sports, Younkers and Barnes and Noble.
"We are no longer just sandwiched between Omaha and Sioux Falls, overlooked by major retailers," said Kristen Walter, senior marketing manager. "For years, we were viewed as a secondary market by the leading retailers and I believe that trend is changing."
Over the past two-plus decades, some mall retailers have come; some have gone. Last year, the Gap store at Mall closed, three months earlier than anticipated and a Gap Outlet was announced to replace it. And last month, Wilsons Leather closed as part of the national chain's downsizing.
But opening at the mall will be Steve and Barry's, a national retailer that offers casual wear for the entire family, and Charlotte Russe, a national apparel retailer targeting young women. Those businesses join Hollister Co., a lifestyle brand of Abercrombie & Fitch. With those additions, come major expansions of Victoria's Secret and Scheels.
According to the National Retail Federation, total holiday sales started out very conservative with threats of a recession on the horizon, then exploded, due to last minute shopping, resulting in a four percent increase over last year.
"We had record sales for Christmas this year with the best Black Friday we can remember," she said. "Next year, we are thinking of having all the stores open at 6 a.m. for the shoppers."
Local businesses are still a staple at the mall, such as 6 South Designs, Kitchen Dressings and Wacky Bear Factory. However, 2007 had no new local shops embrace the mall.
"We love local businesses because they add flavor to the mall," said Walter. "But not many of our local businesses are interested in long-term leases, which is something that is appealing to large retailers."
Welcome nationals
Hollister Co., a lifestyle brand of Abercrombie & Fitch, opened on Feb. 15 in two combined store spaces to take up a 5,808 square feet of space. The 5,808-square-foot Hollister store is next to Champs Sports, between Center Court and the Sears Wing. According to its Web site, Hollister Co. specializes in California surfer-style apparel for teens and young adults ages 13 through 20.
Though it was started in 2000, Hollister adopted 1922 as the date of its establishment. The number 22 and a flying seagull logo appears on many of its items. Hollister has 24 U.S. stores and three stores in Canada. Store manager Michelle Hanson has been with Hollister since 2003 and has recently relocated from Minnesota to take the store manager job at the Sioux City Mall.
Charlotte Russe, a national apparel retailer targeting young women, plans to open a store at Southern Hills Mall in late May.
The 6,780-square-foot store will occupy two spaces between Center Court and the Sears wing, just west of a new Hollister store that opened last week. The retailer offers fashionable, value-priced clothing targeting young women in their teens and 20s. In addition to a wide selection of apparel, the stores carry a full range of accessories and footwear.
Steve & Barry's, a casual apparel retailer, will open its Southern Hills Mall store this fall. The 36,000 square foot store represents the fifth Steve & Barry's in Iowa and is part of an aggressive growth plan that has seen the chain double in size almost every year for the past decade, Walter said.
Calling the addition of the retailer, "a perfect fit" for the mall, Walter said Steve & Barry's, which sells most of its clothing at $10 or less, offers casual wear for the entire family, including a wide selection of jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts, polos, cargos and footwear.
In the past year Steve & Barry's has introduced four of the most high-profile and industry-changing product lines in all of retail, which includes its recent launch of Sarah Jessica Parker's Bitten apparel line, Starbury shoes from NBA player Stephon Marbury, the EleVen line by tennis star Venus Williams, and the dear line from actress Amanda Bynes.
Founded in 1985 at the University of Pennsylvania, New York-based Steve & Barry's operates more than 250 anchor and junior anchor shopping center and mall-based locations in 37 states. Currently, the closest stores to Sioux City are in Omaha and Lincoln, Neb.
Expansions
Scheels All Sports has started work on a 14,500-square-foot expansion of its 60,000-square-foot superstore. The store will remain open during construction. All work will be performed by local contractors, according to the company.
With the expansion, Scheels will showcase the area's largest selection of sports, sportswear and footwear under one roof. Modeled after Scheels stores in Des Moines, Omaha and Fargo, the Sioux City Scheels will features boutiques ranging from technical running gear and the latest fashion sportswear to spectacular hunting and fishing shops.
In 2003, Scheels moved its store from Marketplace Shopping Centre to its existing store, which was built in a portion of the parking lot of the Sears wing of Southern Hills Mall.
Scheels, headquartered in Fargo, operates 22 stores in seven Midwest states - North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Montana and Nebraska. In Sioux City, the company employs more than 100.
Victoria's Secret is expanding from 4,500 to 8,211 square feet. The store closed on Feb. 17 for the expansion but is open in temporary store space. The expanded store will re-open in early June. The store will have a double entrance and include a full make-up collection, twice the amount of pink merchandise, more fitting rooms and more registers, Walter said.
Southern Hills Mall regular hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Holiday hours and department store hours may vary.
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