Update: Sam's Club on Hilton Head Island to close after Bluffton store opens

The Sam’s Club on Hilton Head Island will relocate to a new Bluffton store opening early next year.

Walmart spokesman Phillip Keene said in an email Saturday that Walmart plans to close the Sam's Club at 95 Mathews Drive after the new store, currently under construction at the intersection of U.S. 278 and S.C. 46, has opened.

The Walmart combo site in Bluffton will also include a Supercenter. The Hilton Head Walmart Supercenter will remain open, according to Keene. He said Friday the Walmart Supercenter and Sam’s Club heading to Bluffton are on track for an early 2017 opening.

Sam’s Club and Bi-Lo co-anchor Port Royal Plaza, a center containing a mix of retail and restaurants. A Walmart store previously occupied the Sam’s Club site before moving to 25 Pembroke Drive, its current location.

Atlanta-based Jaz Development is at the helm of Bluffton Gateway, the name of the center containing Sam’s Club and Walmart Supercenter. An 8-pump gas station is also planned for the site, according to Keene.

The Walmart Supercenter in Bluffton will be approximately 180,000 square feet and include electronics, apparel, toys, baby items, pet supplies, home furnishings, entertainment, sporting goods, crafts and grocery items.

The new Sam’s Club store will be approximately 136,000 square feet and will include a pharmacy, optical center, cafe, deli, bakery, apparel and grocery items.

Other Walmart developments imminent in Beaufort County are a 150,000-square-foot Supercenter on Lady’s Island and a 43,000-square-foot Neighborhood Market, the retail giant’s smaller-sized grocery store chain, at the intersection of Bluffton Parkway and S.C. 170. Both stores are expected to be constructed this year.

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 5:34 PM with the headline "Update: Sam's Club on Hilton Head Island to close after Bluffton store opens."