Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I'm guessing about the closing date here. The last post on their Facebook page is from February 2016, but I think the closing is much more recent than that given the signs are still up and the fixtures still in place.

I had done a closing for the Columbia Mall Hancock Fabrics but had not got around to dropping by the Harbison Court location until this last weekend. In the event, I wasn't able to get a good shot of the place for various reasons, but this store too is part of the chain's ongoing liquidation since their February 2016 bankruptcy and will close soon.

By the bye, the link above also links to this piece which is a pretty exact description of my childhood memories of fabric stores.

As I believe I've said before, I think the name of this Two Notch couples' store is about a syllable short..

This place was for many years a risque book, magazine and video store, which rebranded in 2012 and was open at least through Cinco de Mayo 2016 (NSFW).

This is another place I had meant to go by in the daytime, but I was there when I was..

The Ape Hanger was the leftmost of the three very similar buildings in this little hardluck plaza on Two Notch a bit east of Fontaine. It was the followup operation to The Bargain Warehouse.

From what I can tell, they were a moped, motorcycle and ATV store. The Bargain Warehouse signage was still up late in 2011, so apparently they opened in 2012, and their last Facebook posting is 20 November 2012, so I'm going to say they closed early in 2013.

I'm not sure if this place on Two Notch next to Tiffany's is closed yet, but it was in the final stretch when I took these pictures a few weeks ago. Apparently the owner is retiring. They opened on 4 April 2006, so that's a ten year run, not bad at all.

(Hat tip to commenter Amy)

UPDATE 11 October 2018 -- I should mention, that for whatever reason, this place never did close. Perhaps the retiring owner changed his mind, or found a buyer for the place as a going concern:

UPDATE 11 February 2020 -- As of May 2019, this place is closed as per the comments. And the follow-on operation is All Lacquered Up Nails & More:

I did not know this:

I just always figured wicker meant woven with those pencil sized plants.

At any rate, this longtime Two Notch stalwart will be closing soon.

The real estate listing has an interesting aerial picture of the vicinity, although I don't know that I would emphasize the proximity to the airport for a Dentsville property..

UPDATE 13 September 2017 -- This is now open as CK Beauty Supply. It appears to me they might have just left the "CK" in place from "WICKER". If so, clever!

I noticed the other week that this fabric and sewing supply store in what is more or less a Columbia Mall outparcel is closing. I have not been in a fabric store in decades, but I remember very well that when my mother used to take us shopping and we went into one, they air would be so heavy with dye fumes from all the bolts of cloth that our eyes would start to water almost immediately.

The chain website says that there is a nother Columbia store in Harbison.

This little Hispanic grocery or convienence store was in this little Rosewood plaza for a number of years adjacent to Killoy. It appears the interior is now being completely gutted for whatever comes next.

This small urban clothing botique is in the storefront that was the final location for Forest Lake TV. It's listed in the February 2015-2016 phonebook(*), and I think I would have noticed it being vacant for many months as I drive by there several times a week, so I'm going to peg the closing as "late 2015".

(*) For some reason I still have not received a February 2016-2017 phonebook..

As is often the case, I'm not clear exactly when Five Rivers Market, in the former Master Cleaners/Provisions slot on Millwood closed. I don't see it in my phonebooks at all, and online evidence is a bit confusing, but points so some time after 21 May 2015. As far as I can tell, the Orangeburg location is still open. (Hmm, they also have (had?) a location at the State Farmers' Market).

The storefront is now slated to become Crave Artisan Specialty Market opening around 1 March 2016.