Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Curiously, this property came up in the comments just after I got some pictures of it last weekend while I was at the H. Rubin site. It looks like both the businesses here had been here a good while. In the case of Boost Mobile, that goes all the way back to when it was Suncom. As far as I can tell by looking at Google Streetview, both businesses apparently lasted into 2023. Curiously, Streetview does not have the color scheme that LoopNet has for the phone side of the storefront.

To me the building looks very much like it began life as a convenience store, but I have no memory of that.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

I noticed this vacant suite on the endcap of the Hickory Tavern wing of Shoppes At Woodhill when I was driving by the other evening, and was trying to remember what was there before. I turned up the first picture above establishing that it was a Sprint store at one time, but a little more googling brought up Wine & Design, which I'm not sure exactly what the concept was, but apparently you went there and did some sort of art project while relaxing a bit with a glass or two of wine. I know they moved at least once before from one part of Richland Mall to another. I suspect they moved here shortly after that, which would have been a 2017/2018 timeframe.

From what I can tell, they closed up shop around 2020, probably largely because of the pandemic, I would guess.

As reported by commenter Russell, this former AT&T location in Sandhill is to become a Substation II, the signage for which is already up. ColaDaily has the story.

(Hat tip to commenter Russell)

UPDATE 5 May 2022: Added Cingular to the post title.

Mr. PC has several area locations. This one was on the upper part of Harbison in a little strip housing a Jimmy Johns. Mr. PC itself was around the bottom corner on a lower level and not very visible from the street or parking lot. It was kind of an unpleasant rainy day, so I didn't get out to get any closeup pictures, but you can just about read the logo if you imagine the railings aren't there. In the event I went there with a broken no-name android tablet from one of my neices, but there was no way to get parts for something like that, and she would be better off with something more mainstream.

I noticed the other day that this cellphone shop on Two Notch up towards Sandhill was vacant, and I don't have a lot more to say about it than that.

This pebbly building on Knox Abbott was a Sprint cellphone store until apparently late last year (judging by online review dates). If you look closely in the window you can see a sign that says, I think, that they have moved, and to check Garners Ferry or another location that I can't make out. Anyway, since they give two locations, I think it's more of a consolidation than this operation actually having moved.

I have it in the back of my mind that the building reminds me of a chain style I have seen, but I can't quite place it.

I don't have much to say about this Metro By T-Mobile (formerly Metro PCS) storefront other than once it was here and now it is gone.

You can see the site with branding still up on Google Maps for now.

When I went to take this non-descript picture, I noticed that construction is now ongoing at the old Ruby Tuesday lot and that there is another vacancy in this strip by Bi-Lo, so things are still in flux here.

(Hat tip to commenter Rashaad Egister)

Here's another vacant Cricket Wireless storefront, this one in Topspin Plaza in Lexington.

I noticed as I was getting the pictures that Topspin Plaza actually has two marquees and street addresses. I'm not sure if they are separate developments or not, but the other is at 5341 Sunset Boulevard:

(Hat tip to commenter James R)

This is rather an odd building to have a cellphone store in, as you can see from the rollup door in front and the reinforced door on the side. It seems a much better fit for the scooter company in the other half. Maybe Cricket thought so too, as they have moved to 4121 West Beltline, not far from the old Piggly Wiggly.

Commenter James R mentions that this former Golden Wireless location is vacant again after having been another cellphone operation in the interim. Judging from this this Carolina Panorama article, I think that operation must have been Phone Tech 4 Hire.

Looking at the article, they handled a wider range of electronics & electrics other than just phones. Intriguingly, barber shop clippers are mentioned. I never even considered that those might be fixed rather than replaced.

(Hat tip to commenter James R)