Iconic Myrtle Beach store will close at Broadway at the Beach. What we know
.jpeg "Flags fly on the storefront display of Klig’s Kites at Broadway at the Beach. TSN File.")
A well-known Myrtle Beach store known for its kites, toys and political merchandise is closing one of its prominent locations.
Klig’s Kites will be closing its Broadway at the Beach location located at 1215 Celebrity Circle in Myrtle Beach, according to an email sent to The Sun News by manager Lauren Alexandra Kligman on Tuesday. The store, which is one of three locations, will close at the end of December, according to Kligman.
The news of the location’s closure comes after one of the store’s beloved co-founders, Bruce Kligman, died suddenly in September. Bruce Kligman was known by many in the community for standing outside of the Broadway at the Beach store and cracking jokes with those who walked by.
Klig’s Kites is a family business with a more than 40-year history on the Grand Strand. The store’s three locations have offered locals and vacationers a wide variety of kites, flags, gag gifts and other items for decades. The locally-owned business has cemented its place as a go-to spot to grab a souvenir for visitors looking to commemorate their beach vacations.
Richard Kligman, Bruce Kligman’s older brother and business partner, explained that operating at Broadway at the Beach has been a “fun ride,” but with the loss of his brother and a changing business environment, leaving the spot was the best business decision.
“It’s an expensive place to be,” he said of Broadway at the Beach. The store was doing “okay,” he said, but saw a decline in retail shopping compared to their other two locations. Kligman added that, since Donald Trump merchandise was a big seller and Trump will not be running again in the next election cycle, he sees those sales dying down in the future.
“For us, the timing was right to leave Broadway at the Beach,” Kligman said.
The store will officially close on the last day of December, and customers can take advantage of major sales in the meantime.
The chain’s flagship location just north of Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach will remain open, as will its other Myrtle Beach location which opened in March, according to Kligman.
“We’re not going out of business by any means,” Kligman said.
The store’s colorful kite and banner displays and its fun atmosphere became an iconic landmark at the Broadway at the Beach shopping and entertainment center. The store was among the first at the now-expansive attraction.
