Myrtle Beach Mall
Myrtle Beach Mall is a regional shopping mall in Briarcliffe Acres, South Carolina, serving the northern Grand Strand with a compact mix of department stores, specialty retailers, entertainment, dining, and destination-oriented tenants.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Myrtle Beach Mall is a regional shopping mall located in Briarcliffe Acres, South Carolina, near the junction of U.S. 17 and South Carolina Highway 22. With approximately 523,414 square feet of gross leasable area, it is one of the established enclosed shopping centers serving the Grand Strand tourism region. The property operates in a market shaped by both permanent residents and seasonal visitors, and its tenant mix combines conventional department-store retail with large destination attractions. The property opened in 1986 as Briarcliffe Mall, becoming the second mall to open in the Myrtle Beach area after Myrtle Square Mall. It was subsequently renamed Colonial Mall Myrtle Beach. The present Myrtle Beach Mall name was adopted in 2007 after Jones Lang LaSalle acquired the property from Colonial Properties Trust in July of that year. The mall has historically competed with larger regional centers, particularly Coastal Grand Mall to the south in Myrtle Beach, as well as Inlet Square Mall in Murrells Inlet. Its identity has been supported by several prominent anchor tenants. Belk operates separate north and east stores, a configuration created after the original Belk location needed additional space but could not expand on its existing footprint. Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World was added in 2004 after a Kmart anchor at that end of the property was demolished. The Myrtle Beach location was the first Bass Pro Shops store in South Carolina and brought a major outdoor-recreation destination to the mall. Other prominent occupants have included AMC Theatres, Books-A-Million, and Players Choice Myrtle Beach, a store combining comic-book trading with an arcade focused on 1980s games. The mall has also undergone changes in its entertainment offer. Briarcliff Cinemas, located behind the mall, closed in August 2005. Its building was demolished and replaced by a larger 12-screen cinema complex that opened in spring 2006. The cinema was later rebranded AMC Colonial Mall 12 in 2017. The property has generally maintained a relatively small retail roster, with fewer than 40 stores reported, and has relied on large anchors and entertainment uses rather than a very broad specialty-retail lineup. In 2014, Peak Financial Partners and Msuma Holdings Corp. acquired the mall for $45 million. The new ownership discussed a series of physical and merchandising changes intended to increase shopper traffic, beginning with a redesign of the food court and potentially extending to the mall's central area, theater area, and entrance frontage. The property later experienced a significant anchor transition when JCPenney announced in January 2020 that it would close the store as part of a nationwide reduction. The location closed on July 26, 2020. In 2025, the former JCPenney building was reported as slated for demolition to support a proposed Guy Fieri's Downtown Flavortown restaurant and entertainment venue incorporating a tiki bar, bowling, and an arcade. The opening date and completed operating status of that redevelopment are not established in the supplied reference material. Today, Myrtle Beach Mall is best understood as a locally and regionally oriented shopping-and-entertainment property rather than a national retail brand. Its positioning depends on recognizable anchors, tourism-compatible attractions, and convenient access from the northern Grand Strand. Its long-term strategy has involved adapting vacant or underperforming anchor space for experiential uses while retaining established department-store and destination tenants.
History
Myrtle Beach Mall opened in 1986 in Briarcliffe Acres, South Carolina, under the name Briarcliffe Mall. It was the second enclosed mall to open in the Myrtle Beach area, following Myrtle Square Mall. The center was later renamed Colonial Mall Myrtle Beach, reflecting a change in property branding before it adopted its current name. A major early expansion of the tenant base occurred in 1994, when a second Belk store was added. The original Belk had required expansion, but the site was landlocked, so the additional store provided needed department-store capacity without relying on a conventional enlargement of the existing building. The mall's largest strategic shift came in 2004, when Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World opened in space created after a Kmart anchor was demolished. The store was the first Bass Pro Shops location in South Carolina. Its large footprint and destination character gave the property a major outdoor-recreation attraction capable of drawing shoppers beyond the immediate neighborhood. Cinema operations also changed during the 2000s. Briarcliff Cinemas, located behind the shopping center, closed on August 18, 2005. The former cinema building was demolished, and a larger 12-screen replacement called Colonial Cinemas 12 opened in spring 2006. The cinema was renamed AMC Colonial Mall 12 in 2017, linking the entertainment venue to the AMC chain while retaining the mall name in its local identity. In July 2007, Jones Lang LaSalle acquired the property from Colonial Properties Trust. The mall was renamed Myrtle Beach Mall later that year. Its property history therefore includes three principal identities: Briarcliffe Mall, Colonial Mall Myrtle Beach, and Myrtle Beach Mall. The last major update before the later ownership changes was reported in 2004. On May 17, 2014, Peak Financial Partners and Msuma Holdings Corp. were announced as the new owners. The reported transaction value was $45 million. Soon afterward, the owners described potential improvements intended to make the mall more attractive to shoppers. Initial concepts included redesigning the food court and reconsidering the central mall area, theater zone, and front entrance. These plans reflected the broader challenge faced by enclosed shopping centers competing with larger regional malls, open-air retail, online commerce, and changing visitor habits. The property has retained a relatively compact store count, with fewer than 40 stores reported in the supplied reference material. Its principal attractions have consequently been large anchors and entertainment-oriented tenants rather than a dense collection of specialty shops. Belk, Bass Pro Shops, AMC, Books-A-Million, and Players Choice Myrtle Beach have each contributed to the center's combination of conventional retail, tourism-related shopping, and leisure activity. Former occupants included Foot Locker, Hallmark, and Bath & Body Works. JCPenney became an important later chapter in the mall's anchor history. On January 17, 2020, the retailer announced that the Myrtle Beach store would close as part of a nationwide closure plan. The location ceased operations on July 26, 2020. In February 2025, the former anchor building was reported as being demolished to make way for a proposed Guy Fieri's Downtown Flavortown venue. The concept was described as combining a restaurant with a tiki bar, bowling alley, and arcade. The supplied reference gives a projected June 2026 opening but does not provide independently established evidence of completion, so the redevelopment is treated here as planned rather than confirmed as operating. Myrtle Beach Mall remains one of three malls identified in the Grand Strand area, alongside Coastal Grand Mall in Myrtle Beach and Inlet Square Mall in Murrells Inlet. Its continuing role is that of a smaller regional center whose access, established anchors, cinema, and destination attractions support both local shopping and the area's visitor economy.
- 2025
Former JCPenney space targeted for redevelopment
[1]The former JCPenney anchor is reported as being demolished for a proposed Guy Fieri's Downtown Flavortown restaurant and entertainment venue.
- 2020
JCPenney closes
[1]The JCPenney store closes on July 26 as part of the retailer's nationwide store-closure program.
- 2017
Cinema is rebranded AMC Colonial Mall 12
[1]Colonial Cinemas 12 is renamed AMC Colonial Mall 12.
- 2014
Peak Financial Partners and Msuma Holdings acquire the mall
[1]The property is acquired for a reported $45 million, followed by discussion of improvements to the food court and other public areas.
- 2007
Property changes ownership and adopts current name
[1]Jones Lang LaSalle acquires the property from Colonial Properties Trust in July, and the center is renamed Myrtle Beach Mall later that year.
- 2006
Colonial Cinemas 12 opens
[1]A new 12-screen cinema complex opens in spring 2006 on the site of the former Briarcliff Cinemas.
- 2005
Briarcliff Cinemas closes
[1]The former cinema closes on August 18, 2005, clearing the way for a larger replacement complex.
- 2004
Bass Pro Shops opens
[1]Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World opens after the former Kmart anchor is demolished, becoming the first Bass Pro Shops location in South Carolina.
- 1994
Second Belk store added
[1]A second Belk location is added because the original store needs more space but cannot be expanded on its existing site.
- 1986
Briarcliffe Mall opens
[1]The shopping center opens in Briarcliffe Acres as Briarcliffe Mall, becoming the second mall in the Myrtle Beach area.
Products and positioning
A compact regional shopping and entertainment center serving residents and tourists in the northern Grand Strand, differentiated by large destination anchors such as Bass Pro Shops, Belk, and a multiplex cinema.
Outdoor retail anchor · 2004
Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World
A large outdoor-recreation retail destination offering sporting goods, equipment, apparel, and related merchandise. The Myrtle Beach location opened in 2004 after the former Kmart anchor was demolished and was the first Bass Pro Shops store in South Carolina. Its destination scale makes it one of the mall's principal traffic generators.
Department store · 1994
Belk
Belk operates separate north and east department-store locations at the mall. The additional Belk store was added in 1994 after the original location needed more floor space but could not be expanded because of site constraints. The stores provide apparel, accessories, beauty, and home merchandise.
Cinema · 2006
AMC Colonial Mall 12
The mall's multiplex entertainment venue developed from the former Briarcliff Cinemas. After the original cinema closed in 2005, a larger 12-screen complex opened in spring 2006 as Colonial Cinemas 12. It was renamed AMC Colonial Mall 12 in 2017.
Books and media retail
Books-A-Million
A bookstore and media-oriented tenant serving the mall's local and visitor audience with books and related reading and entertainment products. It is identified in the reference material as one of the center's notable current occupants.
Comics, collectibles, and arcade entertainment
Players Choice Myrtle Beach
A specialized entertainment retailer combining comic-book trading and collectibles with an arcade focused on 1980s video games. The concept adds an experiential and nostalgia-oriented use to the mall's otherwise conventional retail and anchor mix.
Restaurant and entertainment venue · 2026
Guy Fieri's Downtown Flavortown
A proposed redevelopment of the former JCPenney anchor space described as including a restaurant, tiki bar, bowling alley, and arcade. The supplied reference identifies a projected opening in 2026 but does not establish that the venue has opened, so its status remains planned.
Brand decisions
2020
Replace the JCPenney anchor after closureStrategyBackground
JCPenney announced a nationwide store-reduction program that included the Myrtle Beach Mall location.
Action taken
The store closed on July 26, 2020. The former anchor was later selected for a proposed restaurant and entertainment redevelopment.
Aftermath
The planned Guy Fieri's Downtown Flavortown concept would convert the former department-store space into a leisure-oriented venue with dining, bowling, and arcade uses.
2014
Acquire the mall and pursue physical improvementsM&ABackground
Peak Financial Partners and Msuma Holdings entered the property after the mall had developed a relatively compact store base and faced competition from larger regional centers.
Action taken
The firms acquired the mall for a reported $45 million and discussed redesigning the food court, central mall area, theater area, and front entrance.
Aftermath
The announced concepts positioned the property for a more experience-oriented and traffic-focused operating strategy, although the supplied material does not document the full implementation of every proposed change.
Acquisition price. $45 million (2014 acquisition)
2004
Add Bass Pro Shops as a destination anchorProduct launchBackground
The mall had lost a Kmart anchor at one end of the property and needed a use capable of generating substantial traffic.
Action taken
The former Kmart space was demolished and replaced with a Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store.
Aftermath
The store became a major destination tenant and the first Bass Pro Shops location in South Carolina, helping support the mall's viability in the Grand Strand market.
Sources2 sources
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