Just as the iconic beaches of South Carolina’s Hammock Coast ® stretch on for miles, so does the possibility of having a great time shopping in places like historic Georgetown, Pawleys Island and Murrells Inlet.
If you’re looking for great shopping experiences in South Carolina, our region has something for everyone.
Starting on the south end of the Hammock Coast in historic Georgetown, visitors will discover famous Front Street, where one-of-a-kind boutiques, art galleries, eateries and museums vie for attention. Just off Front Street is the HarborWalk, where maritime meets merriment with iconic restaurants such as The River Room overlooking the water and serving up fresh seafood and Southern hospitality.
Up the coast from Georgetown, the Hammock Coast’s famous beach communities bustle with activity. While historic Pawleys Island may be famously commercial free, “mainland Pawleys” is where the action is when it comes to shopping and dining. In fact, a series of shopping villages dot the Pawleys landscape.
The Island Shops is a perfect collection of quaint boutiques, outlets and stores connected to what locals delight in calling “Downtown Pawleys,” home to iconic restaurants such as Bistro 217, Rustic Table and Pawleys Island Tavern, best known as “The PIT.”
Just across Ocean Highway, more shopping can be found at The Village Shops and the Hammock Shops Village, a series of stores and boutiques underneath live oaks draped in Spanish moss.
Village shopping can trace its origins back to 1889 when Riverboat Captain Joshua John Ward created the most comfortable and sturdy cotton-rope hammock ever that has steadily grown in popularity over the years.
So by 1938, when his family opened the Original Hammock Shop in Pawleys Island, it was only natural to feature this beautiful example of local craftsmanship. If you ever wondered how our region got its moniker as the “Hammock Coast,” well, now you know. When we say, “Come to the Hammock Coast for rest and relaxation,” we know what we’re talking about and there’s surely the perfect hammock ready for each guest!
Shopping throughout Pawleys weaves together more than hammocks, though. The entire family can enjoy browsing for everything from fashionable clothing and shoes to handcrafted collectibles and jewelry, coastal-inspired treasures, wine, gifts, candy, specialty art, gourmet kitchen items and more. Shopping opportunities extend from Pawleys into the Litchfield Beach community, where the Mingo community beckons visitors to stop by Kudzu Bakery at The Beach and Quigley’s Pint and Plate, where locally inspired cooking mixed with delightful brews.
A little more north, visitors will discover Murrells Inlet, originally a fishing village and now known far and wide as the “Seafood Capital of South Carolina.” But beyond the fresh-caught crabs, fish, shrimp, oysters and more that can be bought — and eaten — the Inlet is home to myriad shopping opportunities along Highway 17 and the Bypass, including Lee’s Apothecary, where, yes, a soda fountain is still serving customers. Another Inlet highlight is the half-mile-long MarshWalk, where foodies can never get enough at the seven member restaurants.
The Hammock Coast offers a memorable mix of Lowcountry nature, history, shopping and dining. Whether browsing in the shops, sipping wine on a deck, or watching the art of hammock weaving and sweetgrass basket making, there’s something for everyone here.
Whatever you do, save some type for shopping along South Carolina’s Hammock Coast ®.
