Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I think I know who could ride this bike..

Harrell's Bicycle World apparently sold out to Bike Street USA in 2014, but that operation, which also bought out Bike To Nature did not long survive the expansion, apparently liquidating in November of 2014. It appears the chain's main strategy was buying out local stores and then functioning as sort of an IGA for the bicycle market:

Pat Patregnani, an avid cyclist and the CEO of marketing advertising firm Zimmerman Advertising, founded BikeStreet USA in 2012 and launched into the market with an aggressive business plan, acquiring independent bicycle shops and rolling them up into its corporate structure. Under BikeStreet, the stores would benefit from leveraging technology like point of sale systems, inventory management and websites that would be handled by BikeStreet, as well as marketing and greater buying power from its larger scale. Former owners and managers would receive backend operational support, allowing them to focus on taking care of customers and servicing bikes.

Though unfortunately:

"BikeStreet was also founded by folks without multi-unit store experience," he said. "When you go from one shop and you're in there everyday and you can control everything. You have your eye on everything and then you go and own 17 locations, you have to have a different set of skills to manage 17 stores, 17 managers, 17 set of employees. That's just not suited for enthusiasts without multi-store experience," he added.

(Hat tip to commenter Aaron)

[23 October 2025]: I was looking through some old mail today and found some pictures from commenter Homer which I couldn't recall if I had used on the Tim's Gas Depot post, so I went looking for it, and could not find it!

I finally came to the conclusion that it was a post lost in one of the two times Godaddy has lost my database. (I take backups now, though heaven help me if I have to figure out how to restore one!). Anyway, knowing what to look for, I was able to find the post on the Wayback Machine at archive.org, so here, for your viewing pleasure, it is again (I am forcing it to the top for today, but resetting the posting date to 2015 so it will be the right place in the history):

Today's post and pix come from commenter Homer, who says:

Ted, I am going to send you several emails with pictures of Tim's Gas Depot that left 7334 Woodrow St., Irmo on May 31st to move to their new location at 7960 Broad River Rd. Tim specializes in gas fireplaces and inserts, grills, propane tank refills and just about anything that has to do with LP or natural gas.

I remember fondly the propane heat at my Aunt's house, and the way the smell and warmth of it would hit you as you walked into the kitchen from the non heated part of the house..

(Hat tip to commenter Homer, obviously)

UPDATE 16 June 2015 -- Changed address from 7334 to 7336 Woodrow based on Homer's comment (and the note I should have remembered)

UPDATE 23 October 2025: Restored post, added map icon. I will also note that Tim's Gas Depot is still on Broad River, and online here.

I had meant to do this post before Free Comic Book Day which was
2 May 2015, but that was not to be.

At any rate, as reported by commenter James R, Comic Nirvana has moved from in front of Best Buy in Lexington to
The Smith Centre just south of the I-20 Waffle House.

I have to say it's not an easy location to find. They have listing on the roadside marquee for the office plaza, but actually
locating the store is a bit of a puzzle. In the event, you can't see it from the default parking area in front, you have to dri
ve around back and duck into a little back nook. Hopefully they will have some more directional signs up soon, along with their
main storefront sign. In fact, they may by now as these pictures are a week or two old.

(Hat tip to commener James R)

Like everyone, I've heard the folksy commercials on 92.1 and other stations, but had no real idea where Chapin Furniture actually was. In the event it's not hard to find as a pretty straight shot from I-26.

The State has the story of this move: Apparently Publix has bought this lot, and Chapin Furniture is building a new two-story store elsewhere which should be open in the fall of 2015.

Anna's Linens replaced (after a hiatus) Lifeway Christian Stores in Harbison Court in late 2011. Now some three plus years later, they are gone as well, and Harbison Court is undergoing fairly extensive facade work and renovation. On the whole I am impressed with how they have kept the place up and made good such major losses as Barnes & Noble and Officemax.

In the meantime, Anna's still has two Columbia locations, one on Forest Drive and another on Two Notch.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

UPDATE 14 June 2015 -- Five Below is coming along:

Well, here is this week's closed Radio Shack.

This one was on Two Notch Road in front of Target, and can't have been helped by being so close to Best Buy though I believe this store predates that. In the event, I don't believe I ever shopped this store.

Given that we are several days into Spring at this point, I think it is safe to say that the rooftop garden shop at Richland Mall is not just closed for the season, but is apparently closed for good.

Forest Acres still has several sites for garden supplies including the Ace Hardware nearby in the old Ritz building and the garden shop in the old First Citizen's bank at Forest Lake Shopping Center.

I don't believe I ever went into this Radio Shack in the Food Lion plaza in Five Points. Come to think of it, I don't believe I've ever been into any business in this plaza other than Food Lion, unless you go back far enough to count Peaches and Sears.

You know the drill about Radio Shack by this point.

Another day, another Radio Shack. Sic transit gloria mundi.

This one is in the Wal Mart plaza at Forest & I-77, and is I believe the same operating unit that was originally in a free-standing building near the current Forest Drive Rite Aid and then in Trenholm Plaza. If so, this is the Radio Shack that I historically cut my teeth at. I used to take tubes to be tested at the freestanding location all the time, and bought (or talked my parents into buying) a number of hobby kits there. Later, I was a member of the Battery Of The Month club at the Trenholm Plaza location, and got what I call my "lucky" screwdrivers as a free BOTM gift there. ('Lucky' in that I've had them for over 30 years now, and have never lost or broken them -- yet). I remember I used to manage my BOTM days so that I could get one battery on the last day of a month, and then the next day, get another on the first day of the next month. [This was important since, a) it always took at least two batteries to do anything, and b) I never had any money]

I don't believe I ever actually went into this store after it moved to the current location. By that time, I was living out of town, had enough money to buy batteries, and had bid adieu to vacuum tubes.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

Another day, another Radio Shack.

This is the one in Parkland Plaza in Cayce, and is another casualty of the chain's bankruptcy.

UPDATE 14 March 2015 -- Gone: