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You’d just about have to be living under a rock to be from the Houma-Thibodaux area and not know about Southland Mall.
But if you talk to the folks who run the multi-store shopping center, they’re quick to point out that there’s far more to the facility than just name recognition and an ideal location.
Southland Mall has been around since 1969, and the facility has expanded many times since its opening to now feature 80 stores over countless genres of retail.
Mall General Manager Dawn Becker admitted that name recognition is a key advertising tool that helps Southland Mall continue to thrive. But she added that the shopping center earned its place as a go-to spot by working feverishly to provide diverse offerings that appeal to all people around the area.
“We offer a safe, comfortable shopping environment that meets the needs of our community. Southland Mall is constantly evolving to reflect national and local trends and needs.”
Younger folks take the mall for granted and assume that it’s always been a part of Houma retail.
But the truth is the facility is actually still fairly new — all things considered.
Southland Mall opened in Feb. 1969 as the Houma-Thi-bodaux area’s oilfield-driven economy started to boom.
The facility was always at its current location, and it was created as a way to give shoppers throughout the entire Tri-parish area a one-stop shop for all their retail needs.
“Southland Mall was started by a group of New Orleans-based developers, Sizeler Management Company,” Becker said. “They were the original owners and developers of the shopping center.”
The original facility paled in comparison to how the mall looks today.
When Southland Mall opened shop, it featured one building and 14 stores. The original lineup featured Sears, K&B Drugs, Kirshman’s, F.W. Woolworth, Winn Dixie and D.H. Holmes (which is now Dillard’s).
The original mall also had more than just shopping opportunities. It was also a local center for entertainment, thanks to the Southland Cinema, which gave people around the area the chance to see all of the latest flicks from Hollywood.
Becker said the mall was a success from day one.
A year after opening, the mall picked up 10 more stores, upping its occupancy to above 20. The mall fluctuated from about 20-25 stores for more than a decade until 1981 when it was determined the shopping center would be even better if it had additional space.
From there, the mall’s owners added a whole new wing to the mall’s campus, giving the mall the space it enjoys today.
The expansion project brought J.C. Penney to the Southland Mall. The additional wing also brought space for more than 35 additional specialty stores — space that allows the mall to have more than 80 full-time stores today.
Since the renovation 1981, Southland Mall’s infrastructure has stayed the same, but Becker said the shopping center has constantly worked to keep things fresh.
In 1994, the mall was remodeled, a few tweaks that gave the facility a more modernized look and additional space.
The expansions and remodeling projects combine to give Southland Mall its current position as one of the largest retail centers in the South — a shopping center that services a giant piece of Southeastern Louisiana.
Becker said Southland Mall administrators constantly study the market and do everything possible to keep hot retailers inside the facility’s walls.
That research, Becker said, is what allows the facility to push past the current downturn in the local economy.
“Southland Mall is constantly evolving,” Becker said. “Stores come and go, but we consistently strive to place the best mall retailers possible in our center to help offer diversity to our shoppers.”
And Becker said even more is to come in the future.
She said the mall will open 10,000 square feet of new space in August, which will feature an all-new Sprint store, as well as Avenue and GNC and other noteworthy tweaks.
“Southland Mall will also open a new, 20,000-square foot junior anchor to be located near Victoria’s Secret,” Becker said. “It’s scheduled to open this fall. The mall will also remodel its mall entrances this fall, which will also include new LED lighting, upgrades and other new center amenities.”
Constantly evolving.
That’s been Southland Mall’s way — now more than 40 years and counting.
Becker said she’s proud of how much the mall has grown, adding that it will always do everything in its power to keep locals happy.
“That’s what we’re here for,” she said. “To meet the needs of the shoppers in the area.”
Southland Mall in Houma is still growing. The 80-store shopping center is going to be adding shopping space in the coming months in an effort to continue to serve as a leader in local retail.
