Southcentre Mall

Southcentre Mall is a major enclosed shopping centre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is located in the Willow Park neighbourhood in the city's southeast quadrant, at the intersection of Macleod Trail and Anderson Road and opposite Anderson CTrain Station. The location gives the mall a combination of automobile access, public-transit connectivity, and proximity to established residential communities. The mall originally opened in October 1974 and has developed through several expansion and redevelopment phases rather than through a single continuous construction project. An expansion in 1986 increased its retail capacity, followed by a further northern extension in 1988 that added a two-level retail wing. In the late 1990s, the property underwent another substantial change: a three-level department-store building, a group of additional retailers, and a two-level parking structure were added. The department-store space had initially been planned for Eaton's but ultimately opened with Sears. At the same time, the former theatre complex was closed and converted for retail use. A further redevelopment phase was completed in 2009. This work redesigned the south entrance and brought Crate & Barrel to the mall, contributing to a more contemporary tenant mix and strengthening the centre's appeal as a destination for home and lifestyle shopping. In 2015, the previously closed northern entrance was redesigned for Sporting Life, adding another major anchor and improving the mall's external access points. Southcentre's tenant base has changed in response to retail-sector shifts and the restructuring of department-store operators. Sears closed its Southcentre location in January 2018 after the company's bankruptcy. Showhome Furniture subsequently occupied the ground-floor portion of the former Sears premises, but that business left the space in 2019. Oxford Properties later announced a redevelopment program for the vacant area. Dollarama opened in November 2020, while PetSmart and Winners opened during spring 2021, with Winners beginning operations on April 21. These changes replaced a traditional department-store format with a broader mixture of value retail, specialty retail, and off-price shopping. The mall is generally described as one of Calgary's largest by area. Its reported size is approximately 97,743.9 square metres, or 1,052,107 square feet, spread across two principal retail floors and containing about 190 stores and services. Major offerings have included Crate & Barrel, Dollarama, Decathlon, PetSmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sporting Life, and Winners. The former Hudson's Bay location was also part of the centre's department-store history and was reported as closing on June 1, 2025. Beyond leasing and physical redevelopment, Southcentre has undertaken programming intended to make the shopping experience more inclusive. In 2012 it became the first mall reported to offer private Santa Claus visits for children with autism. The property also announced in 2023 that the third floor of the former Sears building would be converted into an entertainment area. That space later opened as Powerplay, adding an entertainment component to a centre historically focused on retail and dining. Southcentre is owned and operated by Oxford Properties and remains an active regional shopping destination in Calgary.

Southcentre Mall opened in October 1974 in Calgary's southeast quadrant, in the Willow Park area near the intersection of Macleod Trail and Anderson Road. Its location across from Anderson CTrain Station has been an important part of the centre's accessibility, complementing road connections with public transit. From its beginnings, the property was intended to serve nearby communities while also attracting shoppers from across the Calgary metropolitan area. The first major recorded expansion took place in 1986. Two years later, a northern retail wing was added, creating a two-level extension and increasing the mall's capacity for specialty stores. These projects established the physical basis for Southcentre's later role as one of Calgary's largest shopping centres. The property continued to evolve in the late 1990s, when a three-level department-store building, approximately 20 additional retailers, and a two-level parking structure were added. The department-store space had been planned for Eaton's but ultimately opened as Sears. The same redevelopment period also saw the closure and conversion of the mall's theatre complex into retail space. The next major phase was completed in 2009. The south entrance was redesigned and Crate & Barrel opened, adding a prominent home and lifestyle retailer to the tenant mix. In 2015, the north entrance, which had been closed since the 2009 work, was redesigned to accommodate Sporting Life. This created another significant anchor and reinforced the mall's focus on apparel, sporting goods, and lifestyle shopping. The collapse of traditional Canadian department-store retail later produced a major change in the property. Sears closed its Southcentre store in January 2018 following the company's bankruptcy. Showhome Furniture subsequently used the ground-floor portion of the vacant premises, but it closed by November 2019. Rather than replace Sears with another single department store, Oxford Properties announced a multi-tenant redevelopment in 2020. Dollarama opened in November 2020, and PetSmart and Winners opened during spring 2021. Winners' opening date was April 21. The new arrangement diversified the former department-store footprint across discount, pet, and off-price retail categories. Southcentre has also developed programming intended to address changing expectations around inclusion and experience. In 2012, it became the first mall reported to provide private Santa Claus visits for children with autism. The initiative adapted a popular seasonal activity to provide a more controlled setting for children and families who might find conventional mall events difficult. In 2023, the mall announced plans to convert the third floor of the former Sears building into an entertainment venue. The space later opened as Powerplay, adding a leisure and entertainment use to a part of the property that had previously been associated with department-store retail. This reflects the broader redevelopment direction of enclosed malls, which increasingly combine shopping with activities intended to increase dwell time and diversify visitor reasons. Southcentre is reported to contain approximately 97,743.9 square metres, or 1,052,107 square feet, of space across two principal retail floors, with about 190 stores and services. Its major tenant history includes Hudson's Bay, Sears, Indigo, Crate & Barrel, Sporting Life, Shoppers Drug Mart, Dollarama, Decathlon, PetSmart, and Winners. Indigo was replaced by Crate & Barrel, while the former Sears space was divided among newer occupants. Hudson's Bay was reported to have closed its location on June 1, 2025. The mall is owned and operated by Oxford Properties and remains active as a large regional shopping and entertainment destination in Calgary.

• 2025

  Hudson's Bay location closes

  [1]Southcentre Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Southcentre Hudson's Bay location is reported to close on June 1.

• 2023

  Entertainment conversion announced

  [1]Southcentre Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Plans are announced to convert the former Sears building's third floor into an entertainment space.

• 2021

  PetSmart and Winners open

  [1]Southcentre Mallen.wikipedia.org

  PetSmart and Winners open in the redeveloped former Sears space during spring; Winners opens April 21.

• 2020

  Former Sears space redevelopment begins

  [1]Southcentre Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Oxford Properties announces Dollarama, PetSmart, and Winners as replacement tenants for the former Sears area.

• 2018

  Sears closes

  [1]Southcentre Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Sears leaves the mall after the company's bankruptcy.

• 2015

  Sporting Life becomes a major anchor

  [1]Southcentre Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The redesigned north entrance opens with Sporting Life.

• 2012

  Autism-friendly private Santa visits introduced

  [1]Southcentre Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Southcentre offers private Santa visits for children with autism.

• 2009

  South entrance redevelopment

  [1]Southcentre Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The south entrance is redesigned and Crate & Barrel opens at the mall.

• 1999

  Department-store and parking expansion

  [1]Southcentre Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A three-level department store, about 20 retailers, and a two-level parkade are added; the former theatre is converted to retail space.

• 1988

  Northern retail wing added

  [1]Southcentre Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A two-level retail wing is added on the north side of the property.

• 1986

  First major expansion

  [1]Southcentre Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Southcentre undergoes a significant expansion, increasing its retail capacity.

• 1974

  Southcentre Mall opens

  [1]Southcentre Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall opens in October in Calgary's Willow Park neighbourhood.

• Powerplay opens

  [1]Southcentre Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The former Sears third-floor entertainment redevelopment opens as Powerplay.

A large regional enclosed shopping centre combining mainstream, specialty, off-price, home, sporting, pet, pharmacy, and entertainment tenants, with convenient access to Calgary's southeast residential districts and the Anderson CTrain station.

• Retail property and customer services · 1974

  Shopping centre services

  Southcentre provides the core services of a large enclosed shopping centre, including retail leasing, indoor pedestrian circulation, parking, customer amenities, seasonal programming, and access to a broad mix of stores and services. The property contains approximately 190 stores and services across about 97,743.9 square metres of space.

• Apparel, home, and sporting goods · 2009

  Specialty and lifestyle retail

  The mall's specialty and lifestyle offering includes retailers such as Crate & Barrel and Sporting Life, supported by apparel, footwear, home furnishings, books, and sporting-goods stores. These tenants help position Southcentre as more than a convenience-oriented community centre.

• Discount, off-price, pet, and general merchandise · 2020

  Value and specialty replacement retail

  Following the departure of Sears, the former department-store space was divided among Dollarama, PetSmart, and Winners. Together, these stores provide discount general merchandise, pet supplies, and off-price apparel and home products, creating a more diversified tenant mix than the previous single-anchor arrangement.

• Entertainment

  Powerplay

  Powerplay is the entertainment use created through the conversion of the third floor of the former Sears building. Its addition expands Southcentre's offer from conventional shopping toward leisure and experience-based visits.

• 2012Private Santa visits for children with autism

  Calgary · Canada

  Southcentre adapted its seasonal Santa program to provide private visits for children with autism, offering a quieter and more controlled alternative to the standard public mall event.

  Outcome. The initiative established Southcentre as an early mall participant in autism-inclusive seasonal programming.

  Source

• 2023

  Convert the former Sears third floor into entertainment spaceStrategy

  Background

  The former department-store building offered additional space that could support uses beyond conventional retail.

  Action taken

  Southcentre announced plans to redesign the third floor as an entertainment venue.

  Aftermath

  The space later opened as Powerplay, adding an experience-oriented use to the mall.

  Source

• 2020

  Replace the former Sears department-store format with multiple tenantsStrategy

  Background

  Sears closed in 2018 after its bankruptcy, and a temporary Showhome Furniture tenancy subsequently ended.

  Action taken

  Oxford Properties announced Dollarama, PetSmart, and Winners as tenants for an ongoing redevelopment of the vacant ground-floor space.

  Aftermath

  Dollarama opened in November 2020, followed by PetSmart and Winners in spring 2021, diversifying the former department-store footprint.

  Source

• 2015

  Reopen the north entrance through a Sporting Life redevelopmentStrategy

  Background

  The north entrance had been closed after the earlier redevelopment and represented an opportunity to create another significant anchor location.

  Action taken

  The entrance was redesigned for Sporting Life, which became a fourth major anchor tenant.

  Aftermath

  The project improved access at the north side and broadened the mall's sporting and lifestyle positioning.

  Source

• 2009

  Redevelop the south entrance and add Crate & BarrelStrategy

  Background

  Southcentre pursued a physical and tenant-mix refresh after earlier expansion phases.

  Action taken

  The south entrance was redesigned and Crate & Barrel opened at the mall.

  Aftermath

  The work strengthened the centre's home and lifestyle retail offer and modernized a principal access point.

  Source

1. 1Southcentre Mallen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Southcentre Mall official websitesouthcentremall.com