It was announced on Friday that a Scheel’s All Sports Store would be coming to Missoula’s Southgate Mall.

Southgate Mall Manager Tim Winger confirmed the news to KGVO News on Friday afternoon.

“The press release from Washington Prime Group announced a very exciting store that will be joining the mall,” said Winger. “In a little over a year, Scheel’s, who already have outlets in Billings and Great Falls, is a recognized as one of the finest sporting goods operators in the nation. They started as a small company in Fargo and they turned into just a fantastic operator. They will take over the J.C. Penney location in addition to about 40,000 square feet of common area coming out from the mall.”

Winger confirmed that there are several other businesses that have already begun the process of moving into the mall complex, including what was once known as Paxson Plaza.

“The Big Dipper is under construction and will open something in the spring right next to the Dram Shop,” he said. “Cinnabon and Auntie M’s are probably going to open in a couple of months, maybe at the end of March or April inside the mall and we’ll have several of our retailers moving around and they’ll start construction in the next few months. Nail Trixx will be moving and the River City Hair Studio will be moving. Now Care is under construction and they’ll be inside in the old Sears building where Lucky’s now is, and they’ll be taking that space in there.”

Winger said there will be an innovative new feature just inside the front entrance to the mall called Giggle Box.

“The two-story approximately 17,000 SF new entertainment concept will be the first of its kind in Montana and will feature interactive art, event space, and community-based gatherings. The Giggle Box will temporarily replace a junior anchor space previously occupied by Herberger’s Men’,” he said.

According to a press release from Washington Prime Group, within the past three years, Southgate Mall has opened the AMC Dine-in Theater and welcomed or remodeled national retailers including Athleta, Bath & Body Works, Gap and Gap Kids, H&M, Lane Bryant, PINK, Torrid, Victoria’s Secret, and The White Barn Shop.

Over the last week, both J.C. Penny and Lucky's Market announced their stores were closing.

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