Myrtle Beach's Extreme (Retail) Makeover

With one major shopping venue arriving, another moving and a third undergoing a $20-million facelift, the Grand Strand retail scene will be plenty abuzz over the next several months.

JCPenney makes its long-awaited appearance on the Grand Strand next week with a brand-spanking-new, 105,000-square-foot store at Coastal Grand Mall. The March 7 ribbon cutting and grand opening will usher in the retail giant’s two new brand concepts – the Sephoria beauty boutique, and the American Living collection of fashions for men, women, children and home.

Staffed by a team of beauticians specially trained in the “Science of Sephoria,” the beauty boutique will boast premium products in makeup, skincare, fragrance and accessories, including Bare Escentuals® and Philosophy®. American Living was developed exclusively for JCPenney by Global Brand Concepts (a division of Polo Ralph Lauren), to offer consumers what JCPenney describes in its recent Business Wire release as “a classic traditional lifestyle brand that combines impeccable quality with a clean, timeless style.”

Meanwhile, the Sun News reported today that the anticipated move of nationwide bookseller Barnes & Noble, from its current Seaboard Street location to its new store at The Market Common, will take place April 1-3 – with the old store’s closing, its reopening and the official grand opening each occurring on successive days.

And later this year, the finishing touches will be made on the $20-million renovation being performed on the Tanger Outlet Center at Highway 501. The overall look of what has been a sprawling facility will be given a more intimate, hometown feel through classic Main Street-style storefront architecture with Victorian period accents. Standard walkways currently joining the stores will give way to streetscapes that feature a mix of plazas, seating areas, retail kiosks, fountains and garden-like landscaping touches.

While it’s great that JCPenney will add another major department store option at Coastal Grand and Barnes & Noble will benefit from being part of the spectacular new development at the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, I’m especially pleased to see the work being done at Tanger right now. Even with its central Grand Strand location, I along with many friends and family members living nearby often opted to drive the longer distance to the Highway 17 location near North Myrtle Beach. Until now the Highway 17 Tanger just felt more consumer-oriented, so if the changes at 501 have the desired effect, I expect it will not only attract plenty of new customers but bring back plenty more as well.

What do you think, Beach Bloggers? Which store opening (or reopening) do you anticipate the most?