Greenville’s mall era, rebuilt: Haywood’s staying power and Woodruff’s rise

If you’re plotting a weekend loop that hits Apple for a repair, scores a deal at Costco, lets the kids burn energy at the movies, and still sits down for dinner without crossing town twice, Greenville makes you choose a lane: the longtime enclosed anchor at Haywood Road or the big-box and entertainment sprawl on Woodruff Road. The two corridors grew out of the same story, but they answer different shopping trips in 2026.

How the center of gravity moved: from McAlister Square to Woodruff Road

Greenville’s enclosed-mall story started earlier than many Upstate neighbors. McAlister Square, which opened as an enclosed center in the late 1960s, is no longer a mall in the conventional sense. It’s now home to the University Center of Greenville, a multi-institution campus and meeting facility with 170,000 square feet of instructional and event space. Its current address is 225 S. Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville, 29607, and posted building hours run Monday–Thursday 8 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. That shift from retail to education explains why you no longer see department-store anchors here, yet the parking lots still fill at semester start and during weekday trainings.

Woodruff Road is where the regional mall energy went next. The former Greenville Mall site at Woodruff and the interstates was acquired for redevelopment in 2007 and delivered, in phases, as Magnolia Park with the redevelopment completed in 2014. The surviving multiplex was folded into a more modern, open-air format alongside new large-format retail. That single decision effectively reset where big boxes and destination dining collect in the county.

The anchor that still anchors a trip: Haywood Mall today

Haywood Mall remains the Upstate’s enclosed workhorse, a 1.2 million-square-foot, two-level center with 120+ shops and four department-store anchors: Belk, Dillard’s, JCPenney, and Macy’s. The mall posts regular hours of Monday–Thursday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday–Saturday 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Sunday 12–6 p.m. at 700 Haywood Rd., Greenville, 29607. If you want a true, climate-controlled mall walk or a one-roof experience, this is the one that still does it.

The tenant mix has evolved to keep full-trip appeal. The Apple store on the lower level lists its address as 700 Haywood Rd. and mirrors those mall hours most days, with onsite Genius Bar by appointment for repairs and trade-ins. Recent leasing language also calls out additions like the LEGO Store, Lush Cosmetics, FP Movement, Kendra Scott, Pottery Barn, and Sephora inside, which is how Haywood keeps younger and specialty shoppers coming back even as department stores cycle. On the logistics side, Haywood quotes 6,500 parking spaces, including a multilevel garage adjacent to Dillard’s, which matters on holiday Saturdays when surface lots clog.

Pipeline matters for whether a mall still anchors a day. As of early 2026, the center publicly touted new-to-market softlines and entertainment coming into former large-format shells. Primark was announced for the former Sears footprint in March–May 2025/2026 updates, and Round1 Bowling & Arcade was announced August–September 2026 for that same wing. Both are “coming soon” at the time of writing on September 7, 2026, not yet open, but the direction of travel is clear: pair traditional department stores with fast-fashion and entertainment to lengthen dwell time.

The Woodruff Road power duo: Magnolia Park and The Shops at Greenridge

Magnolia Park: entertainment and big-format shopping in one stop

Magnolia Park’s address is 1025 Woodruff Rd., Greenville, 29607. It’s an open-air redevelopment with anchors and entertainment that pull cross-county. The Regal Hollywood – Greenville multiplex at 1029 Woodruff Rd. carries the RPX premium auditorium alongside standard screens. The entertainment mix includes Dave & Buster’s, and the big-box side of the site shows brands like PGA TOUR Superstore, Old Navy, Homesense, Sierra, Shoe Carnival, Dollar Tree, Rockler, and Bob’s Discount Furniture on current property flyers.

Two details sharpen how locals actually use Magnolia Park. First, the site offers free onsite parking, which keeps dinner-and-a-movie outings simpler than chasing time-stamped garage validation. Second, the former Cabela’s now operates as a Bass Pro Shops-branded outdoor store at 1025 Woodruff Rd., Suite H101, which adds hunting and fishing trip errands to the same stop where you see a movie or pick up a new driver at PGA TOUR Superstore.

Just west along the same curb cuts sits Costco Wholesale, 1021 Woodruff Rd. While not part of Magnolia Park’s landlord roster, it’s part of the same shopping calculus. As of September 1, 2024, Costco’s published membership fees rose to $65 for a standard Gold Star membership and $130 for Executive, and those tiers still apply in 2026. That stable, posted price is what makes a Costco run worth bolting onto a Woodruff loop before you head to Magnolia Park for dinner.

The Shops at Greenridge: errands plus softlines in one walkable center

Head a half-mile southeast and you hit The Shops at Greenridge, the other Woodruff anchor at 1125 Woodruff Rd., Greenville, 29607. Developed in the mid-2000s in an open-air format, it’s built around multi-entrance big boxes and specialty retailers you can park-and-walk between. The center’s current directory includes Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, DICK’S Sporting Goods, LOFT, Talbots, and a long list of food and beauty operators. If you need a real, local hours signal to plan by, the on-site Five Below posts Monday–Saturday 9:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–8 p.m. at that address, which beats the 10 a.m. open you’ll see at many fashion chains and makes pre-work errand runs possible.

Greenridge is where people stack errands without driving between outparcels. It’s common to see a sequence like “in-store pickup at Best Buy, story time or a hold pickup at Barnes & Noble, quick return at a softlines tenant, then lunch.” The center lists a single, consolidated property contact and publishes the address prominently, which helps when you’re trying to keep a multi-stop run inside one parking field.

What each format still does better in 2026

The enclosed format at Haywood is still the strongest “single-roof” option if you value weatherproof walking between anchors, a deeper food court, and services like on-premise device support. You also get the long list of specialty tenants that tend to land with national mall owners before they trickle to open-air centers. The listed regular hours give you longer evenings on Friday and Saturday, and the enclosed concourses make it an easy choice for all-day holiday shopping.

Magnolia Park wins when entertainment is on the itinerary and you want big-box breadth in one place. Having Regal Hollywood – Greenville on site, plus Dave & Buster’s and golf or outdoor categories that aren’t inside Haywood, makes it the logical pick for a movie night or mixed-age outing. You also get the practicality of free onsite parking and sit-down dining clustered around the theater entries, which reduces the shuffle with kids in tow.

The Shops at Greenridge is the high-efficiency errand carrier. If you’re building a list that includes a specific gadget at Best Buy, a book hold at Barnes & Noble, and youth cleats at DICK’S Sporting Goods, it’s hard to beat the park-once, walk-the-row setup. Those 9:30 a.m. opens at stores like Five Below create early windows that enclosed centers don’t always mirror on weekdays.

Key things to know before you pick a route

• Haywood Mall is the area’s only true enclosed, climate-controlled mall left. Its posted regular hours and full breadth of mall-only tenants, including Apple and the LEGO Store, make it the logical pick if you want everything under one roof.
• Magnolia Park’s pairing of Regal Hollywood – Greenville (1029 Woodruff Rd.) with dining and large-format retail shortens the gap between a movie and a meal, and free onsite parking saves you from garage validation math.
• The Shops at Greenridge is built for errand stacking. A concrete example: the on-site Five Below opens 9:30 a.m. Monday–Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday, an earlier window than many apparel chains.
• Woodruff Road’s retail gravity is reinforced by Costco (1021 Woodruff Rd.). Its published membership pricing tiers, $65 Gold Star and $130 Executive since 9/1/2024, are unchanged in 2026 and often decide whether a family builds a monthly bulk run around Woodruff.
• McAlister Square isn’t a mall anymore. For classes or a weekday meeting, the University Center of Greenville at 225 S. Pleasantburg Dr. posts Mon–Thu 8 a.m.–9 p.m. and Fri 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., but you won’t find department stores there.

Reader Q&A

Is Haywood Mall still the biggest enclosed mall in the Upstate?

It’s still the dominant enclosed option. Haywood lists 1.2 million square feet, four department-store anchors, and regular hours of Monday–Thursday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday–Saturday 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Sunday 12–6 p.m. at 700 Haywood Rd. That combination is why it still anchors full-day trips.

Can I make a movie-and-dinner night without leaving one property on Woodruff?

Yes. At Magnolia Park (1025 Woodruff Rd.) you can park once, see a show at Regal Hollywood – Greenville (1029 Woodruff Rd.), then walk to multiple sit-down or fast-casual restaurants. The site also notes free onsite parking, which helps for longer evenings.

What’s the earliest I can reasonably start errands at The Shops at Greenridge?

Several stores open before 10 a.m. A clear, current example is Five Below inside the center at 1125 Woodruff Rd., which posts 9:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Monday–Saturday and 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Sunday. That gives you a head start if you prefer to beat Woodruff’s midday traffic.

Is there still shopping at McAlister Square?

It’s mostly education and services now. The former mall operates as the University Center of Greenville at 225 S. Pleasantburg Dr., with Mon–Thu 8 a.m.–9 p.m. and Fri 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. hours posted for the campus. If you need retail, plan on Haywood or Woodruff instead.

Choosing between Haywood and Woodruff comes down to format and adjacency. If you want one roof, predictable hours, and mall-only brands, start at Haywood. If your checklist is big boxes, a movie, and membership-club bulk in one corridor, build your loop around Woodruff Road and park once at Magnolia Park or Greenridge.

Published: September 7, 2026