South Shore Plaza
A major shopping mall in Braintree, Massachusetts, serving the South Shore region of Greater Boston.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
South Shore Plaza is a large regional shopping mall in Braintree, Massachusetts, United States. The center began operations in 1961 as an open-air shopping plaza anchored by a 120,000-square-foot Filene's department store and approximately thirty smaller shops. Its location south of Boston positioned it to serve communities across the South Shore while also attracting customers from the broader metropolitan area. The property expanded as American suburban retail evolved. A large Jordan Marsh department store opened in 1967, and the center was enclosed in 1976. Lord & Taylor and Sears joined the tenant mix during the late 1970s and around 1980, respectively, helping the mall reach roughly 100 stores. A major redevelopment in 1995 and 1996 added a second level, the Boardwalk Cafes food court, and additional retail space. The project nearly doubled the mall's size and introduced skylights, broad corridors, and a brighter interior design intended to create a more contemporary regional-shopping environment. Department-store consolidation subsequently reshaped the property. Jordan Marsh was converted to Macy's in 1996. After Federated Department Stores acquired May Department Stores in 2005, Filene's closed in 2006 and its space was used in connection with Macy's expansion and relocation. The former Jordan Marsh/Macy's space was later sold to Simon Property Group. Filene's Basement, another former mall tenant, entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2009, and its South Shore Plaza location closed in 2011. A further redevelopment opened on March 26, 2010, on the former Jordan Marsh site. The expansion added a three-level Nordstrom store, new retail space, and a range of higher-end tenants including Sur La Table, Vera Bradley, and Sephora. Target opened in the lowest level of the addition in October 2010. Renovation work also refreshed carpeting, signage, wall treatments, food-court furnishings, television displays, and connections between the parking structures and the mall. The tenant roster continued to change in response to retail-industry trends. Primark opened in 2017 in space formerly used by Sears, while Lord & Taylor announced the closure of all stores in 2020. Nordstrom closed its South Shore Plaza store on March 8, 2025. Dick's House of Sport was identified as the planned replacement for the former Nordstrom space, with an expected opening by 2026. The mall has also remained a public venue and cultural reference point: sequences for the 2008 film Paul Blart: Mall Cop were filmed there. South Shore Plaza is generally described as one of the largest shopping centers in the United States. Published descriptions identify approximately 1.59 million square feet of selling space, while redevelopment-era accounts reported a larger total area including additional mall and support space. As of March 2025, the principal anchors listed for the center were Sears, Macy's, Primark, and Target, with Dick's House of Sport planned for the former Nordstrom location. Its identity is based on regional scale, a broad mix of department stores and specialty retailers, food and leisure offerings, and its accessibility to the Boston-area market.
History
South Shore Plaza opened in 1961 in Braintree as an open-air retail plaza. Its initial anchor was a 120,000-square-foot Filene's department store, supported by approximately thirty smaller shops. The center expanded in 1967 when a 300,316-square-foot Jordan Marsh store opened. In 1976, the plaza was enclosed, establishing the basic enclosed-mall format that shaped its subsequent development. Lord & Taylor opened in 1979 and Sears followed in 1980, by which time the property had reached approximately 100 stores. The mall underwent a major physical expansion in 1995 and 1996. A second level was added along with the Boardwalk Cafes food court, and Filene's received an expanded home-store component. The redevelopment nearly doubled the center's size and used skylights, spacious corridors, and updated circulation to give the interior a more open and contemporary character. In 1996, Jordan Marsh was rebranded as Macy's during a period of department-store consolidation. Simon Property Group acquired the mall's then-owner, Corporate Property Investors, in 1998 and assumed management of the property. Further changes followed Federated Department Stores' 2005 acquisition of May Department Stores, the parent of Filene's and Lord & Taylor. Filene's closed in March 2006, and Macy's subsequently used the space as part of a relocation and expansion. The remaining Filene's stores were converted to Macy's later that year. Federated later sold the Lord & Taylor chain and sold the vacant Jordan Marsh/Macy's space to Simon Property Group. Filene's Basement, a former anchor-level retailer, filed for bankruptcy protection in 2009; its South Shore Plaza store closed in December 2011. The former Jordan Marsh site became the focus of another large redevelopment. The new section opened on March 26, 2010, and included a three-level, approximately 150,000-square-foot Nordstrom store. Target was added to the lowest level of the three-level expansion and held its grand opening on October 10, 2010. The project also brought higher-end specialty tenants such as Sur La Table, Vera Bradley, and Sephora. Mall-wide improvements included replacement carpeting, new wall decoration and signage, revised food-court seating, television installations, and restored parking-deck bridges. Tenant turnover continued in the following decade. Primark opened in 2017 in the former upper-level Sears space. Lord & Taylor announced the closure of all stores in August 2020 amid the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nordstrom ended its South Shore Plaza operation on March 8, 2025, with Dick's House of Sport planned for the vacant space by 2026. The mall has also appeared in popular culture; filming for sequences in the 2008 film Paul Blart: Mall Cop took place at the property. The center is a major retail property in the Boston metropolitan area. Wikipedia descriptions identify approximately 1,586,446 square feet of selling space, while accounts associated with the 2010 redevelopment cited a larger gross figure. The mall's current identity combines long-established department-store anchors with specialty fashion, beauty, sporting-goods, home, dining, and large-format retail uses.
- 2025
Nordstrom closes
[1]Nordstrom closes its South Shore Plaza store, with Dick's House of Sport planned as its replacement.
- 2017
Primark opens
[1]Primark opens in space formerly occupied by the upper level of Sears.
- 2010
Major redevelopment opens
[1]A new wing opens on the former Jordan Marsh site, adding Nordstrom, Target, specialty retailers, and renovated common areas.
- 1998
Simon assumes management
[1]Simon Property Group acquires Corporate Property Investors and assumes management of South Shore Plaza.
- 1996
Second-level expansion completed
[1]The mall adds a second level, Boardwalk Cafes, and expanded retail and home-store space; Jordan Marsh is also renamed Macy's.
- 1980
Sears opens
[1]Sears opens at the mall as the center reaches approximately 100 stores.
- 1979
Lord & Taylor opens
[1]Lord & Taylor becomes an additional department-store anchor.
- 1976
Mall is enclosed
[1]The open-air plaza is converted into an enclosed shopping mall.
- 1967
Jordan Marsh joins the center
[1]A large Jordan Marsh department store opens at the property.
- 1961
Open-air plaza opens
[1]South Shore Plaza opens in Braintree with Filene's as its principal anchor and approximately thirty smaller stores.
Products and positioning
A large, established regional shopping destination serving Braintree, Boston's South Shore, and the wider Greater Boston area, combining department stores, specialty retailers, dining, and large-format anchors.
Retail anchor · 1961
Department-store retail
The mall's department-store offering has historically included Filene's, Jordan Marsh, Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Sears, and Nordstrom. These anchors have changed through rebranding, acquisitions, closures, and redevelopment, reflecting the broader transformation of American department-store retail.
Mall retail · 1961
Specialty retail
South Shore Plaza houses specialty stores across apparel, beauty, accessories, home goods, and lifestyle categories. Retailers associated with the 2010 redevelopment included Sur La Table, Vera Bradley, and Sephora, while Primark later occupied former Sears space.
Food service · 1995
Food and dining
Dining is part of the mall's regional-shopping proposition, including the Boardwalk Cafes food court added during the 1990s expansion and other food-service tenants located throughout the center.
Big-box retail · 2010
Large-format retail
Target operates in the lowest level of the 2010 expansion. Sears has also been a long-standing large-format anchor, with Primark occupying the former upper-level Sears space from 2017.
Brand decisions
2025
Replacement of Nordstrom with Dick's House of SportStrategyBackground
Nordstrom closed its South Shore Plaza store after operating as an anchor in the 2010 expansion.
Action taken
Dick's House of Sport was identified as the planned tenant for the former Nordstrom space, with an expected opening by 2026.
Aftermath
The planned change would preserve a major anchor presence while shifting the space toward experiential sporting-goods retail.
2010
Redevelopment of the former Jordan Marsh siteStrategyBackground
The mall sought to replace and redevelop the former Jordan Marsh/Macy's area while strengthening its position as a major regional destination.
Action taken
A new three-level wing opened with Nordstrom, Target, specialty retailers, and upgraded common-area and parking connections.
Aftermath
The project materially expanded the mall and added a more upscale specialty-retail component.
Recent events
- 2025
Nordstrom store closes at South Shore Plaza[1]
Other · Product generation
Nordstrom closed its South Shore Plaza location on March 8, 2025. Dick's House of Sport was announced as the planned future occupant of the former store space.
- 2022
Fatal shooting reported at Forever 21[1]
Other
A man shot another man during a confrontation at the Forever 21 store on January 22, 2022. The victim, identified in reporting as Dijoun C. Beasley, died two days later from his injuries. Police described the incident as gang-related.
- 2022
Vehicle enters the mall promenade[1]
Other
On August 18, 2022, an elderly woman drove onto the mall's second-story promenade after crossing from a parking-garage bridge. No injuries were reported.
- 2020
South Shore Plaza mall shooting injures a teenager[1]
Other
On July 3, 2020, a gunman fired six shots inside the mall and injured a 15-year-old girl. The shooter was later sentenced to eight years in prison followed by three years of probation.
Sources2 sources
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