National brands don’t move into a market until the numbers force them to.
Port Wentworth’s numbers just crossed that line.
“Two Wawa locations and an Aldi grocery store are confirmed for Port Wentworth, anchored by a $3.3 million land purchase by Atlanta developer BrixWorx — and the city’s own retail study says this is only the beginning.”
Why It Matters
- The retail gap is closing fast. A city-commissioned Housing and Retail Study found that Port Wentworth residents were leaking millions of dollars in grocery and general merchandise spending outside city limits. Aldi and Wawa directly target that gap.
- National brands validate the market. When Wawa and Aldi both select the same corridor, it signals that the trade area has crossed a density threshold that attracts further retail. More brands will follow.
- The Highway 21 corridor is becoming a full retail spine. Parker’s Kitchen just opened its new prototype store at Highway 21 and 30 in January 2026. Aldi and two Wawas extend that momentum northward along Augusta Road.
- Industrial growth is now pulling retail. The Dermody Port Wentworth Commerce Center — a 10-million-square-foot logistics park under construction six miles from the Port of Savannah — will add thousands of workers to the immediate trade area. Retail follows rooftops and workers.
- Landlords and landowners along the corridor should be paying attention. Pad sites, outparcels, and strip retail adjacent to these anchor tenants are about to become significantly more valuable.
What Happened
Port Wentworth Mayor Tracy Saunders publicly confirmed in March 2026 that the city will add two Wawa convenience stores and one Aldi grocery store to its retail lineup. The announcement came on the heels of a notable land transaction: Atlanta-based commercial developer BrixWorx Development, operating as Brixworx Port Wentworth II LLC, purchased a commercial property off Augusta Avenue from T&T Exley Properties LLC for $3.3 million in February 2026. BrixWorx specializes in partnering with Fortune 500 companies to facilitate new store growth for national brands, and the firm has completed more than 40 projects across 11 states.
The Aldi is expected to be located in the development area in front of the Rice Creek neighborhood, across the street from the existing Publix near the car wash on Augusta Road. The first Wawa is planned for 5990 GA-21, approximately six miles from the Rice Creek development. The second Wawa location is tied to the BrixWorx acquisition on Augusta Avenue. This suggests the two stores are positioned to capture traffic at both ends of the Highway 21 corridor — one serving the northern industrial and commuter flow, the other anchoring the denser residential section near Publix.
The timing aligns with a broader retail maturation in Port Wentworth. The city’s population has grown more than 50 percent since 2010 and is ranked among the top three fastest-growing cities in Georgia. A 2024 Housing and Retail Study commissioned by the city found that demand for general merchandise and grocery in Port Wentworth slightly exceeded local supply, with an estimated $7.9 million in unmet retail opportunity citywide. The study specifically noted that rapid population growth would make the market increasingly attractive to grocery and convenience retailers over time. That projection is now playing out.
Wawa’s Georgia expansion is part of a national push toward 1,800 locations by 2030. The company has expressed plans to open three to four stores per year in southern and coastal Georgia over the next five to eight years. Georgia’s 10th Wawa opened in Leesburg in October 2025. Aldi, meanwhile, announced plans in January 2026 to open more than 180 stores nationally by year-end, with confirmed Georgia locations including Brunswick, Gray, Valdosta, and Douglas — and now Port Wentworth.
Who’s Involved
- BrixWorx Development (Atlanta, GA): The commercial developer behind the $3.3 million Augusta Avenue land purchase. BrixWorx specializes in retail pad development for national tenants and has served more than 31 national brands across 11 states. Principal: Garret LeBlanc.
- T&T Exley Properties LLC: The seller of the Augusta Avenue commercial property.
- Wawa Inc.: Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain executing an aggressive Southeast expansion targeting 60-plus Georgia locations. Wawa opened its Pooler, GA location in April 2025 and its 10th Georgia store in Leesburg in October 2025.
- Aldi US: German-owned discount grocery chain with plans to open 180-plus US stores in 2026. Confirmed multiple new Georgia locations for 2026.
- City of Port Wentworth / Mayor Tracy Saunders: Local government confirming and supporting the retail expansion as part of the city’s managed growth strategy.
- KB Advisory Group: Authored the February 2024 City of Port Wentworth Housing and Retail Study that documented the retail leakage and demand gap.
Timeline
- 02/2024 — City of Port Wentworth Housing and Retail Study published; identifies unmet retail demand citywide
- 06/2025 — Dermody Port Wentworth Commerce Center announced; 10-million-SF logistics park, 6.5 miles from Port of Savannah
- 10/2025 — Dermody and Port Wentworth break ground on new Highway 21 intersection to support Commerce Center traffic
- 01/2026 — Parker’s Kitchen opens new PK2 prototype store at 132 Highway 30, Port Wentworth
- 01/2026 — Aldi announces 180-plus new US stores for 2026; Georgia locations confirmed
- 02/2026 — BrixWorx Development purchases Augusta Avenue commercial property for $3.3 million
- 03/22/2026 — Mayor Tracy Saunders publicly confirms Aldi and two Wawa locations for Port Wentworth
- 2026 [Expected] — Site plan reviews and zoning approvals for Aldi and Wawa locations
- Late 2026 / 2027 [Expected] — Construction and opening of new retail locations
What to Watch Next
- Port Wentworth Planning Commission agendas: Site plan submissions for the Aldi and Wawa locations will appear on city agendas before construction can begin. These documents will confirm exact addresses, square footage, and site layouts.
- Additional retail announcements along Augusta Road: Aldi and Wawa serve as anchor tenants. Watch for fast food, pharmacy, and specialty retail brands to announce outparcel or adjacent pad site deals in the months ahead.
- Dermody Commerce Center delivery: Buildings A and B at Port Wentworth Commerce Center are expected Q4 2026, bringing 538,775 SF and additional SF of industrial space online. Each new industrial tenant adds workers who shop locally.
- Infrastructure completion on Highway 21: The new intersection at GA Highway 21 and the Commerce Center entrance is under construction. Its completion will reshape traffic patterns and may accelerate additional retail site selection along the corridor.
- Land and pad site pricing: As national tenants commit to the corridor, expect outparcel and commercial land values along Augusta Road and Highway 21 to move. Owners sitting on commercial land in this area should be evaluating their options now.
PIER Commercial has been tracking this corridor for years. If you own, lease, or are looking at commercial space in Port Wentworth or along the Highway 21 and Augusta Road corridor, this is a conversation worth having.
- Thinking about repositioning a commercial asset before this corridor fully heats up?
- Need to know what pad sites and outparcels are trading at right now in Port Wentworth?
Ryan Clower | PIER Commercial Real Estate | piercommercial.com | 912.353.7707
Source Pack
- Savannah Morning News — “Port Wentworth lands Wawa and Aldi in new retail expansion” — March 22, 2026
- Savannah Morning News — “Property transfers: Developer makes $3.3 million splash in Port Wentworth” — March 6, 2026
- City of Port Wentworth — Housing and Retail Study (KB Advisory Group) — February 2024
- YouTube / Savannah Nooks and Crannies — “Aldi & Wawa Coming to Port Wentworth! Major Updates” — March 2026
- BrixWorx Development — Company Profile — brixworxdev.com — Accessed March 23, 2026
- Wawa Inc. — Expansion News and Media Resources — wawa.com — Accessed March 23, 2026
- Convenience Store News — “Wawa Builds in Southeast Georgia and Ohio” — August 7, 2024
- Aldi US — “ALDI US Doubles Down on Growth in 2026” — January 12, 2026
- Savannah Morning News — “Aldi opening 4 new grocery store locations in Georgia in 2026” — January 26, 2026
- Dermody Properties — “Port Wentworth Commerce Center” — Accessed March 23, 2026
- Dermody Properties — “City of Port Wentworth and Dermody Break Ground on New Intersection at GA Highway 21” — October 16, 2025
- Parker’s Kitchen — “Parker’s Kitchen Hosts Ribbon Cutting for New Store in Port Wentworth, GA” — January 16, 2026
- LDI Line — “Wawa #6313 Port Wentworth, GA” — Accessed March 23, 2026
- WTOC — “New Wawa opens in Pooler” — April 24, 2025
- WALB — “Georgia’s 10th Wawa opens in Lee County” — October 30, 2025