Whether one is looking for brand-name clothing, electronics, jewelry or just about anything else, Wilmington has it. The city has no shortage of shopping centers for shopaholics, who can shop until they drop.
Here is a look at some of the shopping options, old and new, that Wilmington has to offer.
Independence Mall
Independence Mall, one of Wilmington’s oldest shopping centers, opened on Aug. 1, 1979, on Oleander Drive. It has a new owner, 4th Dimension Properties, which completed the purchase of the mall, excluding the Belk and Dillard’s properties, on Aug. 5, 2025. The mall has a diversity of tenants on its more than 1 million square feet of space. Ninety stores and restaurants are listed on the mall’s website.
Landfall Shopping Center
The open-air Landfall Shopping Center at 1319 Military Cutoff Road offers variety. One can find various types of businesses for things such as groceries, gifts, electric bikes, real estate, a hair and nail salon as well as health, fitness and training shops. In addition, six restaurants offering Italian, Mexican or American cuisine are on the menu.
Long Leaf Mall
One of the first major shopping centers to serve the Wilmington suburbs, Long Leaf Mall opened in 1973. Located on South College Road, the old, open-air section of the mall was torn down in 2000 and later replaced with street-facing businesses.
Mayfaire Town Center
Having opened in 2004 off of Military Cutoff Road, Mayfaire Town Center is a mixed-use development that includes shops, restaurants, a movie theater and housing. Mayfaire’s offerings include Aerie, Banana Republic, Altar’d State Kids, Barnes and Noble, Claire’s, Dave & Buster’s, Drybar, Gap-Gap Kids, J. Crew Factory, Jos. A. Bank, Kendra Scott, Petsmart, Rowan, Talbots, Sunglass Hut, Vochos Urban Mexican Kitchen, Victoria’s Secret, Warby Parker, Wrightsville Ave Boutique and YogaSix.
The Forum
Across from Mayfaire is The Forum, which features several boutiques alongside restaurants.
Some of the stores are Fleet Foot running store, Vestique women’s clothing, Blue Hand Home furniture, AudioNova and Blended Shoes and Apparel. Eateries include Boombalatti’s Ice Cream, Dunkin’, True Blue Butcher and Table and Osteria Cicchetti.
North 17 Shopping Center
One of Wilmington’s oldest shopping centers will become new again. The North 17 Shopping Center at 4302 Market St. is to be redeveloped from an existing one-story retail building that was built in 1954, according to New Hanover County property records, into a five-story, mixed-use building with four stories of residential above one of retail. It is not known when that project will be completed.
The Cotton Exchange
The Cotton Exchange has history, that’s for sure. Named after the Old James Sprunt Cotton Exchange building, it opened as a shopping center in 1976. With eight historic buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries, The Cotton Exchange on North Front Street in downtown Wilmington is home to 30 specialty shops and restaurants connected by brick walkways and courtyards.
Hanover Center
Describing itself on Facebook as a “destination for style, value and convenience,” the Hanover Center became Wilmington’s first suburban shopping center in 1956. The 320,000-square-foot shopping center at 3501 Oleander Drive includes among its tenants Chick-Fil-A, Harris Teeter, Hobby Lobby, Books a Million, Wilmington Blinds & More and My Eye Dr., with a Boot Barn on the way.
University Centre
The University Centre, located near the University of North Carolina Wilmington, consists of 524,947 square feet of retail property at South College Road and New Hanover Drive. Among the shopping center’s featured retailers are Anytime Fitness, Bob’s Discount Furniture, Crunch Fitness, Lowe’s, Old Navy, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Petco, Ross Dress for Less, Sam’s Club, Staples, Verizon Wireless and Wendy’s.
Bayshore Commons
Located in the Porters Neck area on Market Street, this shopping center is anchored by Walmart with several more chain shores.
Some of those stores include Dollar Tree, Pet Supplies Plus and America’s Best Contacts and Eyeglasses. Local favorite Cape Fear Seafood Company has one of its two Wilmington locations at Bayshore Commons.
Bob Liepa is the city of Wilmington and public safety reporter for the StarNews. You can reach him at [email protected].
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