MYRTLE BEACH — The city’s closest grocery store to the beach is closing its doors.
Located just two blocks from oceanfront high rises and small mom-and-pop hotels, the Piggly Wiggly at 1700 N. Kings Highway announced it is closing for business Oct. 11.
While newer stores and big-box shops like Walmart Neighborhood Market (the only other full-service grocery east of U.S. Highway 17 in the city limits) have increased competition, this little Piggly Wiggly has stood its ground near the beach since 1972.
The Piggly Wiggly on North Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach will close on Oct. 11, 2026, ending a run that began in 1972. It’s the last Piggly Wiggly in the city.
“It has been an institution,” owner Brooke Martin said of the disappointing news. “It’s extremely sad. We didn’t want it to happen, but we had to do what we had to do.”
Martin did not specify a reason for the closure, but in a social media post the family-owned business expressed its gratitude to longtime customers for the store’s 54-year run.
“For many years, this store has been about much more than groceries,” the post states. “It has been about people, relationships, and a community that has supported us and allowed us to be a small part of their lives.
“To every customer who walked through our doors, every family who made us part of their routine, and every employee who helped make this store what it was, thank you. Your loyalty, friendship, hard work, and support have meant more to us than words can express.”
Popular with tourists and longtime locals
The store was popular among tourists staying walking distance away and stocking up for a week of vacation groceries, as well as longtime locals who preferred the familiar friendly service over the more modern self-checkout lines and delivery offerings.
Margaret Miller and her husband have been spending the offseason in Myrtle Beach since buying a nearby condo in 2018. They have grown accustomed to short walks to “The Pig” to pick up last-minute groceries.
“I don’t know what we will do now,” she said upon learning the news. “I guess we will have to start driving to the store or figure out how to use DoorDash.”
Those are the types of neighbors and customers the store staff said it will miss the most.
“We are incredibly grateful for the memories made, the conversations shared, and the relationships built within these walls,” the post states. “While it’s difficult to close this chapter, we do so with hearts full of gratitude for the many wonderful years we shared together. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Myrtle Beach.”
The downtown location was the last Piggly Wiggly in the city since the Market Common store closed in 2016. There are two locations on the Grand Strand in Surfside Beach and Georgetown.
