Waccamaw Corp.

Waccamaw Corp
Company type	Private
Industry	Pottery, crafts, home furnishings, retail
Founded	1977
Founder	George Bishop
Defunct	2001
Fate	Merged with HomePlace in 1999; filed for bankruptcy and closed in 2001
Headquarters	Myrtle Beach, United States
Area served	Southern and Midwestern United States
Products	Pottery, crafts, housewares, bedding, cookware, china, furniture

Waccamaw Corp, initially established as Waccamaw Pottery in 1977, was a pottery and craft business founded by entrepreneur George Bishop in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Waccamaw Pottery

The flagship store located on U.S. Route 501 drew approximately 6 million visitors and earned the distinction of being "the state’s most outstanding commercial attraction" in 1983. Growth commenced in 1982 with new outlets opening in Burlington, North Carolina; Spartanburg, South Carolina (1983); Rolling Meadows, Illinois (1984); and Dale City, Virginia (1985).

By the early 1990s, the company diversified into home furnishings, operating numerous stores throughout the Southern and Midwestern United States that offered a range of products including housewares, bedding, cookware, china, and furniture. In response to rising competition from retailers such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Linens 'n Things, Old Time Pottery, Walmart, and Target, Waccamaw merged with the Northeastern chain HomePlace in 1999. The merged organization expanded to more than 100 locations by 2001 under the brand "Waccamaw's HomePlace," with plans to retire the Waccamaw name before eventually filing for bankruptcy and closing down in June 2001.

Waccamaw Factory Shoppes

The original Waccamaw Pottery building still forms part of the Waccamaw Factory Shoppes complex, which was once ranked as the third-largest outlet center nationwide, featuring over 100 retail stores spanning 750,000 square feet on an 80-acre site. Although it underwent an expansion in 1998 and a renovation plan was initiated in 2000, competition from Myrtle Beach Factory Stores and Tanger Factory Outlets negatively affected its performance. In December 2000, American International Life Insurance Co. took ownership through foreclosure after loan defaults.

Various revitalization efforts included proposals for infrastructure enhancements such as constructing a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway and upgrading U.S. 501 freeway access. In 2003, Horry County rezoned adjacent land for Hard Rock Park—a music-themed amusement park that opened nearby but subsequently closed. By that time, the mall had shrunk to just two tenants and suffered from reduced accessibility.

Plans emerged in 2008 by Hard Rock Park developers to create Paradise City using Mall 3 as their headquarters; however, these ambitions fell through following the park’s closure. The property remained partially occupied but largely underutilized.

On December 30, 2011, General Electric Credit Equities sold 52 acres along with 600,000 square feet of space to 3W LLC for $7.5 million. The new proprietors invested $1 million into facility improvements and rebranded the site as Waccamaw Center. Initial leasing efforts concentrated on exterior-facing retail spaces before moving inward. By mid-2012, new tenants started occupying the premises.

Waccamaw Center attracted a variety of businesses including a NewSpring Church branch, benefiting from its convenient highway location coupled with affordable rents. Further landscaping and upgrades were planned for 2014 with expectations to support around 25 retailers.

By July 2018, Waccamaw Center hosted approximately 25 tenants and focused on cultivating an Asian-oriented multicultural marketplace supported by cultural programming developed over several years. In 2023, prominent occupants included Asher Theatre alongside NewSpring Church.

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