Local residents engaging in discussions about the Costco opening delay and the new Buc-ee's travel center.
Residents of Beaufort County, SC, have been left disappointed as Costco announces there will be no new warehouse opening in the region by 2025. Despite ongoing speculation and hopes for a location, locals will have to wait longer for the retail giant. The closest store remains in Pooler, GA. However, the upcoming Buc-ee’s travel center in Hardeeville offers a glimmer of hope for the community, with job creation and infrastructure enhancements promising to boost the local economy.
Residents in Beaufort County, South Carolina, will have to shelf their dreams of welcoming a Costco to their community by 2025, as the retail giant has officially announced there will be no new warehouse openings in the region during this time. For years, speculation around a potential location has swirled, sparking mixed opinions among locals and affecting nearby retailers.
According to Costco’s announcement, the Lowcountry will not see a store opened in the first three months of 2025 as many had hoped. The current batch of new locations for Costco includes cities such as Brentwood, CA; Genesee County, MI; Highland, CA; Prosper, TX; Sharon, MA; and Weatherford, TX. Additionally, ongoing construction in Stuart, FL, and Midland, TX, was not included in the recent announcements, leaving many puzzled about the path forward for Beaufort County.
There have been multiple attempts to bring Costco to Beaufort County, the most notable being a failed deal for the Okatie Crossing site in early 2019, where the developer Doug Horne cited an impasse over costs. Currently, the closest Costco store is located in Pooler, GA, which sits west of Savannah. Other nearby options include existing locations in Mt. Pleasant and Charleston, SC.
Costco operates 625 warehouses across the nation and is particularly known for its broad range of bulk products and an inexpensive food court menu that often attracts shoppers looking for deals. A recent earnings call revealed plans for Costco to open 26 new warehouses in the fiscal year 2025, with 12 of these slated for locations outside of the United States. Despite these numbers, the absence of a Lowcountry option remains a point of disappointment for prospective customers.
The only existing Buc-ee’s location in South Carolina is situated in Florence, about 165 miles away from Hardeeville. The newest location is projected to create approximately 200 jobs, with competitive salary offerings ranging from $16 per hour for cashiers and stockers, all the way to over $225,000 for general managers. In addition to job creation, the travel center will also funnel new property, hospitality, and sales tax revenues into the Hardeeville community.
The opening of Buc-ee’s is tentatively scheduled for 2028, coinciding with substantial improvements to the I-95 highway nearby. Plans include widening the highway and enhancing the exits to better accommodate the influx of travelers eager to experience the Buc-ee’s phenomenon. As the grand opening approaches, this location could reshape the traveler experience along one of the busiest corridors in the United States.
Established in Clute, Texas, in 1982 by founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin, Buc-ee’s has flourished into a chain boasting 50 locations, with 35 proudly positioned in Texas alone. Notably, there are also rumors swirling that the Upstate region may soon receive its own Buc-ee’s location off Interstate 85 in Anderson County, expected to debut next year, giving South Carolinians even more cause for excitement.
As Costco plans remain uncertain, the promise of Buc-ee’s shines as a silver lining, expanding options for locals while contributing to the region’s economy and infrastructure.
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