Attention, Grand Strand shoppers: There's a new retail center in North Myrtle Beach, which has finally caught up to the other 60 miles of Carolina coastline in the shopping department.
Both visitors and residents on the north side of "The Strand" have been forced to drive a few miles to find the top retail-shopping outlets. With the Broadway at the Beach, Barefoot Landing and Market Common megaplexes; two modern malls; and two Tanger Outlets located to the south, North Myrtle Beach's downtown area was largely left out of the big retail boom.
Those living and staying in the North Myrtle Beach and Little River areas had only small strip malls and stand-alone stores . . . at least until now.
Open to the Publix — Photo courtesy of City of North Myrtle Beach
The new Coastal North Town Center – a 368,000-square-foot retail district located near the junction of Highway 17 and Highway 9 in the Cherry Grove Beach section of town and featuring dozens of national and regional outlets – began opening its doors in September. Many more stores are set to welcome customers during fall 2014.
Not only does the new complex bring some of the larger national retailers closer to the North Myrtle Beach coast, but it also includes some stores that are brand new to the Grand Strand, such as Hobby Lobby and Publix grocery store. The national chains are new to the local market and should turn the tables on the local shopping scene, with traffic from the south now coming to North Myrtle Beach instead of the other way around.
Coastal North Town Center features a total of 21 stores that will open their doors in phase one of the development, with many more expected to be open before the Christmas rush. Among the retail clothing and accessory stores set to open the soonest are Dick's Sporting Goods, Fashion Boutique, Mattress Firm, PetSmart, Versona Accessories, Ulta Beauty, Rack Room Shoes, Ross Dress For Less and TJ Maxx.
Professional service stores include Coastal North Vision Center, Heartland Dental, Lee Nails and Super Cuts. Several new restaurants – such as Chipotle Mexican Grill, Dickie's BBQ, McAlister's Deli, Menchie's Yogurt and Which Wich Deli – give visitors a nice selection of dining options to refuel for more shopping.
Plans for additional stores are expected to be announced in the near future.
Several Coastal North Town Center stores are holding grand opening celebrations and special introductory sales. Plus, several pre-Christmas shopping promotions, including special holiday hours and sales events, are also in the works.
