Southgate Mall (Muscle Shoals)
{{short description|Shopping mall in Muscle Shoals, Alabama}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox shopping mall
| name = Southgate Mall
| image = SouthgateMallMuscleShoals.jpg
| image_width =
| caption = The former entrance to the enclosed portion of the mall.
| location = Muscle Shoals, Alabama
| coordinates = {{Coord|34.7462|-87.6720|display=inline,title}}
| address =
| opening_date = 1968
| closing_date =
| developer = Aronov Realty
| manager =
| owner = Aronov Realty
| architect =
| number_of_stores = 20+
| number_of_anchors = 7 (6 open, 1 vacant)
| floor_area = {{nowrap|{{cvt|499110|sqft}}}}{{cite web|url=http://aronov.com/uploadedFiles/Aronov/Retail/Property_Portfolio/Community_Centers/Aronov-SouthgateShoppingCenter-ICSC-LeaseFlyers-2012-web.pdf|title=Southgate Mall|work=Aronov Realty|accessdate=29 March 2013}}{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
| floors = 1
| website =
| belowstyle =
| footnotes =
}}
Southgate Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Around 2005 the inside of the mall closed and the businesses that remained moved to the outside of the mall. Opened in 1968, the anchor stores are Tractor Supply Company, Walgreens, Genesis Jewelry, Pet Supplies Plus, Hibbett Sports, and Burke's Outlet. There is 1 vacant anchor store that was once Rogers. Walmart was a tenant of the mall at one point, but now has its own free-standing store next to the mall.
History
The mall opened in 1968, featuring Woolco{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jR4sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=i8YEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4767,3735512&dq=southgate-mall+muscle-shoals+woolco&hl=en|title=Woolco opens today|date=21 May 1968|work=Times Daily|accessdate=17 June 2013}} and Rogers as its original anchor stores. After Woolco closed in 1983, its space was sold to Walmart, which moved from an existing store in Sheffield.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Nh8sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=L8kEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1549,22452&dq=southgate-mall+muscle-shoals+wal-mart&hl=en|title=Wal-Mart moving to Southgate Mall|date=1 February 1983|work=Times Daily|accessdate=17 June 2013}} In 1989, mall renovations were announced that included the expansion of the Rogers store,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-lMeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EcgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1441,2750803&dq=southgate-mall+muscle-shoals+rogers&hl=en|title=$500,000 renovation project planned at Southgate Mall|last=Cronan|first=Carl|date=16 September 1989|work=Times Daily|accessdate=17 June 2013}} and the opening of Hibbett Sports and Bookland (a division of Books-A-Million).{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tFgeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WMgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2678,4251305&dq=southgate-mall+muscle-shoals+rogers&hl=en|title=Southgate renovation nears finish|last=Coburn|first=Barry|date=25 October 1989|work=Times Daily|accessdate=17 June 2013}}
In 1995, Walmart closed its store in favor of a supercenter located at the opposite end of the mall, in addition to opening a second supercenter in nearby Florence. At the time, the presence of two supercenters in the market was considered unusual.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nGAeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-scEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5241,149546&dq=southgate-mall+muscle-shoals+wal-mart&hl=en|title=Wal-Mart picks Shoals twice|date=1 January 1995|work=Times-Daily|accessdate=17 June 2013}} Rogers was acquired by the Dunlaps chain in 1996. At the time, Rogers also had a store at Beltline Mall (now Decatur Mall) in Decatur, Alabama.{{cite web|url=http://www.timesdaily.com/archives/article_e38a7865-6dff-5313-8744-34cfbd333457.html|title=Historic Shoals retailer closes|last=Williams|first=Kenda|date=13 September 2007|work=Times Daily|accessdate=17 June 2013}}
Convergys purchased the former Walmart in 2001, and announced plans to convert it to a call center, but later canceled these plans.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=024eAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WskEAAAAIBAJ&dq=southgate-mall%20muscle-shoals%20wal-mart&pg=2512%2C3643746|title=Decision a letdown for Shoals|last=Goens|first=Mike|date=29 September 2001|work=Times Daily|accessdate=17 June 2013}} In 2006, Burke's Outlet opened at the mall,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g_sxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K-UFAAAAIBAJ&dq=southgate-mall%20muscle-shoals%20walgreens&pg=4820%2C3598805|title=Retail revival: New stores open in Muscle Shoals|date=25 November 2006|work=Times Daily|accessdate=17 June 2013}} while Tractor Supply Company and a Walgreens call center filled portions of the former Walmart. Many new stores opened in the mid-2000s, although most of them faced the outside of the mall, leaving the interior corridors mostly vacant.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Hs8dAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UscEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5001,1618955&dq=southgate-mall+muscle-shoals+tractor-supply&hl=en|title=Crews begin work at Southgate Mall on 20,000 square foot retail facility|last=Willis|first=Jonathan|date=13 September 2006|work=Times Daily|accessdate=17 June 2013}} Rogers closed in 2007.