Fall of the mall | Myrtle Beach-area malls realign as shopping trends change

If you’ve been to a shopping mall in the Myrtle Beach area recently, you might have noticed it, too.

Closing signs, for-lease signs and empty storefronts are becoming quite the norm at Myrtle Beach mall, Inlet Square mall, and now even Coastal Grand mall in the heart of Myrtle Beach.

Some stores at Coastal Grand mall are closing up shop to make room for H + M, which is taking up 20,000 square feet of space and is opening up later this year. Other stores are responding to shopping habits changing as online shopping becomes more and more prevalent.

“The rapidly changing consumer purchasing patterns have forced retailers to relook at their business models, from store-fleet size to shopping apps,” according to “A Deep Dive Into The US Store Landscape,” a report by Fung Business Intelligence Centre, the research arm of Fung Group, led by Deborah Weinswig, executive director and head of global retail and technology.

According to Forbes, Wet Seal plans to close 338 stores in 2015, including the Coastal Grand mall location; Body Central will close 265 (the location at Coastal Grand is already closed); Delia’s 92 (the location at Coastal Grand is already closed), Aeropostale 50 to 75 (the location at Coastal Grand is already closed); Abercrombie & Fitch, 60; and J.C. Penney, 40, including the Inlet Square mall location.

Here’s a closer look at Myrtle Beach’s malls and some of the stores within them that are shutting their doors or relocating.

Coastal Grand mall

Contact | www.coastalgrand.com; 2000 Coastal Grand Circle, Myrtle Beach; 843-839-9100

Hours | Open Sundays from noon-6 p.m.; Mondays-Saturdays from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Highlights | Cinemark movie theater, Books-A-Million, food court plus surrounding restaurants and other shops like Petsmart and Sticky Fingers

Inlet Square mall

Contact | www.inletsquaremall.com; 10125 U.S. 17 Bypass, Murrells Inlet; 843-651-9400

Hours | Open Sundays noon-6 p.m.; Mondays-Saturdays 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Highlights | Frank Theatres movie theater; Planet Fitness coming this spring; conference space available for rent

Myrtle Beach mall

Contact | www.mymallmyrtlebeach.com; 10177 N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach; 843-272-4040

Hours | Sundays noon-6 p.m.; Mondays-Saturdays 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Highlights | Bass Pro Shop, mini ice skating rink over the winter months was a success, Carmike Cinemas movie theater. Myrtle Beach mall was bought by two California-based real estate investment firms in May 2014 for $45 million.

This story was originally published March 19, 2015 at 10:48 AM with the headline "Fall of the mall | Myrtle Beach-area malls realign as shopping trends change."