It brought the American model of consumerism to the country, had its own nightclub, and even featured exotic animals. The story of the much-remembered Shopping Sur, the pioneer that forever changed the weekends of thousands of families before fading into obscurity.
In the mid-1980s, the concept of “going to the mall” simply did not exist in Argentina. Shopping took place in downtown arcades, on pedestrian streets, or at neighborhood stores. But everything changed in late 1986, when Shopping Sur opened at 3300 Mitre Avenue in the Avellaneda district.
It was the country’s first large-scale shopping center, beating Buenos Aires giants like Alto Palermo and Patio Bullrich to the punch by a couple of years. Anticipation was sky-high: during its first few weeks, the complex drew crowds who traveled from the Federal Capital and various parts of the greater Buenos Aires area just to experience the novelty of having hundreds of stores, food courts, and entertainment venues all under one roof.
Much more than just shopping: ice, bowling, and flamingos
What truly made Shopping Sur legendary wasn’t its stores, but its extravagant array of recreational activities, designed so that families could spend the entire day there. Its greatest pride was a huge ice-skating rink—an unheard-of attraction for the time—which filled with teenagers trying not to fall while the hits of the ’80s played in the background.
The complex was a city unto itself. It featured a nightclub and even had areas with animals roaming freely, including flamingos, giving it an exotic atmosphere that would be unthinkable today. Going to Shopping Sur on the weekend became a true social event.
The Decline in the Face of the New Giants
However, the pioneer’s reign was short-lived. With the arrival of the 1990s, the boom in mega-malls exploded. The opening of Unicenter in the northern part of the city and of modern shopping malls in the heart of Buenos Aires (featuring multiplex movie theaters and international brands) began to empty the aisles of the Avellaneda complex.
Burdened by debt and fierce competition, Shopping Sur closed its doors for good in 1998, after just 12 years in operation. Today, a wholesale hypermarket stands on that same site. Not even the structure remains of Argentina’s first major shopping mall, but the memory of its ice rink and neon lights lives on in the minds of an entire generation.
