All summer, the Walmart Supercenter was expected to open first at U.S. 17 and Calabash Road. It had an Oct. 7 grand opening planned, and the Publix next door had only a "coming soon" note on its website. That order has reversed. Publix now opens Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 7 a.m., and Walmart has postponed its opening without announcing a new date.
If you live in Calabash, this corner is about to change your weekly errands. It won't happen all at once, though. The stores, restaurants and road changes are opening one at a time, and some of them won't be finished until 2027.
How the Opening Order Changed in September
The change came in two announcements. On Sept. 16, WWAY reported that the company had postponed the Oct. 7 grand opening and had not set a new date. Walmart said it was still hiring for the store. Less than two weeks later, Publix announced its date. WECT reported that the store will open its doors at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
As recently as Aug. 20, Publix still hadn't announced a date. The StarNews reported then that window signs at the Walmart said October 2026, and its headline described the two chains as racing to open. As of today, Oct. 8, only one of the two stores has a date on the calendar.
The two stores are different in size and purpose:
| Publix | Walmart Supercenter | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 9770 Ocean Highway West, Calabash | 9700 Ocean Highway West, Calabash |
| Size or site | 46,791-square-foot store | Over 20 acres, with a gas station in the plans |
| Expected staff | About 140 associates | About 450 associates |
| Opening | Oct. 28, 7 a.m. | Postponed, no new date announced |
| Place in Brunswick County | Third Publix, after Ocean Isle Beach and Oak Island | Fourth Walmart Supercenter in the county |
Walmart's official page for store #4269, listed as Calabash Nc Supercenter, already shows daily hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., a Walmart Fuel Station, and a pharmacy at 910-393-4060. These are the store's planned details. A listing doesn't mean the store has opened. Until Walmart announces a new date, Publix is the only one of the two you can plan around.
Calabash Mailing Address, Carolina Shores Jurisdiction
Both stores use Calabash mailing addresses. News coverage calls the Publix the "Calabash Publix" and the Walmart the "Calabash Walmart." The StarNews places both sites in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the Town of Carolina Shores. The shopping center itself is called The Commons at Carolina Shores. That's why updates on the road work appear in Carolina Shores meeting packets, not on Calabash's town calendar.
This is also why the corner can be hard to follow. The Myrtle Beach Sun News locates the plaza on the northwest corner of Calabash Road and U.S. 17, less than a mile from Horry County. It's close to Calabash on the map, but Carolina Shores holds the meetings where its progress gets reported.
The Rest of the Shopping Center Opens Over Several Months
Publix anchors the center, but most of the storefronts are on a slower timeline. Sarah Weston, a spokesperson for developer Branch Properties, told The Brunswick Beacon that the shop spaces would be handed over to tenants in September. Each business then builds out its own space, which puts many of them on track to open in the fourth quarter of 2026 or early 2027.
The confirmed tenants listed in that report are:
- Food and coffee: McDonald's, Dunkin', Firehouse Subs, Eggs Up Grill, Cutty's Pizza
- Everyday stops: 7-Eleven, Chase Bank, Great Clips, Nail Eden
- Appointments: Heartland Dental, Benchmark Physical Therapy
Weston said three retail spaces were still available and that Branch Properties was talking with prospective tenants. The tenant list has also changed over the year. A March site map reported by the Sun News included River Oaks Pizzeria, a locally owned restaurant with locations in the Myrtle Beach area and Surfside Beach. River Oaks isn't on the later confirmed list. CVS appeared on the same site map, and the StarNews has described the shopping center as being built next to the existing CVS along U.S. 17. Until opening dates are posted, treat the list as a plan that may still change.
Cutty's Pizza is the most specific example of how slowly these openings will come. Brothers Ron and Alex Cardello told WMBF they're moving their New York-style pizza shop from Little River to the new center. They expected to get access to the space this month and hoped to open by the start of 2027. They plan to keep serving at the Little River location until then. The brothers said the move gives them a regular storefront and more walk-in customers. Those are the owners' projections, not confirmed dates.
The Road Work Has No Confirmed Finish Date
The traffic changes are the part of the project that will affect the most people. They're also the part with the least public information. The site plan approved by Carolina Shores gives the center two entrances on U.S. 17, two on Calabash Road NW, and a separate delivery entrance. It also requires dedicated left- and right-turn lanes on Calabash Road NW and Country Club Road where they meet U.S. 17. According to the Beacon's report, no new traffic lights were planned for the development. A later Beacon update listed extra travel lanes on U.S. 17, new U-turns, and dedicated lanes into the shopping center.
The completion date isn't clear. Minutes from the Carolina Shores meeting on June 8, 2026, record the mayor saying the contractor expected to finish the turn lanes on U.S. 17 by Sept. 3. The town's September administrative report says only "Roadway: No new updates." None of the coverage reviewed for this post confirms that the lanes and U-turns are finished.
For anyone driving through, this matters more than which store opens first. The plan relies on turn lanes and U-turns rather than a new signal. So a left turn into the center depends on lanes that aren't confirmed as finished, and Publix opens on Oct. 28. The Carolina Shores town meeting packets are the most direct place to watch for an update.
The October Calendar
The new stores aren't the only things happening in Calabash this month. Here are the dates in order, starting from Oct. 8:
- Friday, Oct. 16, 5 to 7 p.m. The Town of Calabash's upcoming events page lists a Trunk or Treat.
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 13th annual Calabash Oktoberfest takes place at 947 Carter Drive, and admission is free. The listing includes Bavarian food, Oktoberfest beer, vendors, a beer stein holding contest called Masskrugstemmen, and arm wrestling. The Harbour Towne Fest Band plays all day.
- Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7 a.m. Publix opens at 9770 Ocean Highway West.
- Date not announced. Walmart Supercenter opens at 9700 Ocean Highway West.
- Late 2026 through early 2027. The other Commons tenants open one at a time, with Cutty's Pizza aiming for the start of the new year.
Oktoberfest falls just four days before Publix opens, and both dates arrive while the U.S. 17 lane work still has no confirmed finish. Leave extra time for the drive on Oct. 28, especially if you want to be there when the doors open at 7.
When a grocery store opens a few minutes from your house, you may start to think differently about where you live. That's especially true if you've been thinking about selling, downsizing or making a move. If you'd like to know how your Calabash home fits into the market around this corner, Steve Adams & Associates will give you a straight local answer. Get Your Free Home Valuation, and we'll explain the numbers in plain terms.
