South Plains Mall

South Plains Mall is a regional shopping center in Lubbock, Texas, positioned at the southwest corner of Loop 289 and Slide Road. Opened on July 26, 1972, the mall was developed to provide a large-scale retail destination for Lubbock and the surrounding South Plains region. It began with approximately 846,000 square feet of retail space and has subsequently expanded to roughly 1.2 million square feet, or about 110,000 square meters. The property functions as the principal enclosed regional mall for a broad area of West Texas and eastern New Mexico. Reference material describes it as the only regional mall within approximately 120 miles, giving it an estimated trade area of about 500,000 people. Its tenant mix combines department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, kiosks, entertainment, and services. Major operating anchors and attractions include Dillard's, JCPenney, Barnes & Noble, and Premiere Cinemas, whose complex includes 16 screens and an IMAX auditorium. In total, the center contains more than 145 shops, restaurants, and kiosks, although the composition has changed as department-store and specialty-retail tenants have closed or relocated. South Plains Mall was developed by South Plains Mall Associates Ltd. and was acquired by Macerich in 1998. The acquisition established Macerich as the mall's owner and operating company. Over time, the property has experienced the same structural changes affecting many traditional enclosed malls: department-store closures, anchor-space vacancies, tenant bankruptcies, and the repurposing or consolidation of large stores. Sears, formerly one of the mall's anchor tenants, closed in January 2019 after its property interest had been transferred to Seritage Growth Properties in 2015. Bealls closed in August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic period, leaving another vacant anchor location. Forever 21 later closed in April 2025 in connection with the retailer's bankruptcy. The most significant recent redevelopment was Dillard's consolidation. Dillard's had previously operated separate women's and men's locations at the mall. In 2022, plans were reported for the retailer to consolidate into a substantially larger approximately 220,000-square-foot store on the west side of the center, on the former Sears site. Sears's former building was demolished in January 2023, and the replacement Dillard's opened on October 9, 2024. The project reflects the mall's continuing effort to modernize its anchor lineup and reuse large-format retail space. South Plains Mall also maintains a community-oriented role through anniversary events, food promotions, seasonal programming, and temporary retail activations. Its fiftieth anniversary in 2022 was marked by a promotion involving Chick-fil-A. The mall remains an active regional retail and entertainment destination, although the long-term treatment of certain former anchor spaces has not been established in the available reference material.

South Plains Mall was developed by South Plains Mall Associates Ltd. as a major enclosed retail center for Lubbock and the surrounding South Plains region. It opened on July 26, 1972, with approximately 846,000 square feet of retail space. The original development reportedly cost $25 million. Its location at the southwest corner of Loop 289 and Slide Road gave the property access to Lubbock's principal road network and supported a wide regional trade area. The center expanded after opening and eventually reached approximately 1.2 million square feet. Its scale enabled it to function as more than a local shopping center: it became the principal regional mall for a large section of West Texas and eastern New Mexico. The available reference material characterizes it as the only regional mall within roughly 120 miles and estimates its market at about 500,000 people. Department stores, specialty shops, restaurants, kiosks, and entertainment venues formed the core of the business model. Macerich purchased South Plains Mall in 1998 for a reported $115.7 million and has remained identified with the property's ownership and operation. The mall's anchor lineup has changed substantially since the acquisition. Dillard's, JCPenney, Barnes & Noble, and Premiere Cinemas remain identified as major operating components, while other large spaces have become vacant or been redeveloped. A major structural change occurred in 2015, when Sears Holdings transferred ownership interests in 235 properties, including the Sears location at South Plains Mall, to Seritage Growth Properties. Sears subsequently closed at the mall on January 9, 2019. Bealls closed in August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic period. These departures added pressure to the center's large-format retail inventory and left vacant anchor space requiring future reuse or redevelopment. The mall celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in July 2022 with promotional activity that included a $0.50 Chick-fil-A sandwich offer. Later that year, reports described Dillard's plans to consolidate its former separate women's and men's stores into a single, much larger approximately 220,000-square-foot location on the west side of the mall. The project was planned for the former Sears site. The Sears building was demolished in January 2023, and the new Dillard's opened on October 9, 2024. The tenant base continued to evolve in the mid-2020s. Forever 21 closed in April 2025 in connection with the retailer's bankruptcy, while temporary and seasonal uses have occupied some former retail areas. The available material does not establish a final redevelopment decision for every vacant anchor location. South Plains Mall nevertheless remains active as a regional retail, dining, bookstore, and cinema destination, with its importance deriving from the limited number of comparable shopping centers in its broad service area.

• 2024

  Replacement Dillard's opens

  [1]South Plains Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A new approximately 220,000-square-foot Dillard's opened on October 9.

• 2023

  Former Sears anchor demolished

  [1]South Plains Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The former Sears building was demolished in January to prepare the site for a new Dillard's store.

• 2022

  Fiftieth anniversary

  [1]South Plains Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall marked fifty years of operation with anniversary promotions.

• 2020

  Bealls closes

  [1]South Plains Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Bealls closed its location in August during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

• 2019

  Sears closes

  [1]South Plains Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall's Sears store closed on January 9.

• 2015

  Sears property transferred to Seritage

  [1]South Plains Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Sears location was among the properties transferred by Sears Holdings into Seritage Growth Properties.

• 1998

  Macerich acquires the property

  [1]South Plains Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Macerich purchased South Plains Mall for a reported $115.7 million.

• 1972

  Mall opens

  [1]South Plains Mallen.wikipedia.org

  South Plains Mall opened on July 26 with approximately 846,000 square feet of retail space.

Regional enclosed shopping mall serving the South Plains, West Texas, and eastern New Mexico, with a broad department-store, specialty-retail, dining, and entertainment tenant mix.

• Retail · 1972

  Department-store retail

  South Plains Mall's department-store offering includes Dillard's and JCPenney. These stores provide broad assortments of apparel, footwear, beauty products, home goods, accessories, and other general merchandise. Dillard's consolidated its previous separate anchor operations into a new, larger store that opened in 2024.

• Retail · 1972

  Specialty retail

  The mall contains more than 145 shops, restaurants, and kiosks across its changing tenant mix. Specialty categories include apparel, jewelry, beauty, books, accessories, services, and other consumer goods. Individual tenants change over time as retailers open, close, relocate, or enter bankruptcy.

• Books and entertainment retail

  Barnes & Noble

  Barnes & Noble is identified as one of the mall's major operating anchors. Its bookstore format adds books, media, gifts, stationery, and related merchandise to the center's department-store and specialty-retail mix.

• Entertainment

  Premiere Cinemas

  Premiere Cinemas operates a 16-screen cinema at South Plains Mall, including an IMAX auditorium. The complex extends the property beyond shopping and dining by providing a major entertainment attraction for the regional trade area.

• Food service · 1972

  Dining and food services

  Restaurants and food-service operators form part of the mall's visitor offering. The property has also used food promotions for community and anniversary marketing, including a Chick-fil-A promotion associated with its fiftieth anniversary.

• 2022Fiftieth-anniversary celebration

  Lubbock · South Plains region

  South Plains Mall marked its fiftieth anniversary on July 26, 2022, with anniversary programming and promotional activity. Chick-fil-A participated by offering sandwiches for $0.50.

  Outcome. The event commemorated the mall's long-running role as a regional shopping destination; a broader measured campaign outcome was not reported.

  Source

• 2022

  Dillard's anchor consolidationStrategy

  Background

  Dillard's had operated separate women's and men's anchor locations, while the former Sears site had become available after Sears closed.

  Action taken

  Dillard's planned to consolidate its operations into a new approximately 220,000-square-foot store on the west side of the mall, using the former Sears site.

  Aftermath

  The former Sears building was demolished in January 2023, and the replacement Dillard's opened on October 9, 2024.

  Source

• 1998

  Macerich acquisitionM&A

  Background

  South Plains Mall had operated since 1972 as a major regional shopping center in Lubbock.

  Action taken

  Macerich acquired the property in 1998.

  Aftermath

  Macerich became the identified owner and operator of the mall, which later expanded to approximately 1.2 million square feet.

  Acquisition price. $115.7 million (1998)

  Source

1. 1South Plains Mallen.wikipedia.org
2. 2South Plains Mall official websitesouthplainsmall.com