BI-LO, 4711 Forest Drive #1: October 2016 15 comments
As above, this BI-LO opened on 15 November 2013, giving them about a three year run after taking over from The Pig.
I don't understand the rationale for closing this particular store, as it seems to have some pretty big plus factors to me. The groceries in this area are Kroger on Forest at Beltline, Trader Joe's at 4516 Forest, Fresh Market and Publix at Trenholm Plaza, and arguably Wal-Mart at Forest & I-77. Of those, Fresh Market and Trader Joe's are upscale specialty stores that are a different market than a general grocery, Publix is cramped and has bad parking, Kroger has bad parking and so-so location, and Wal-Mart .. is Wal-Mart. Against that, this spot has good parking, a large layout, and lots of built-in customers as soon as the re-purposing of Cardinal Newman is complete.
On the other hand, BI-LO is not in the most robost shape, and has presumably thought about all these issues.
At any rate, the sell-off was almost complete when I went in on Saturday 24 September. Remaining were only two endcaps of odd frozen goods, and one shelf of deeply discounted (and not particularly popular) items near the registers. The rest of the store was already a hollow shell.
UPDATE 9 August 2017 -- The teaser sign for Lowes is up on the plaza sign board and the store itself has now been designated a construction area (though I have seen no activity as yet):
UPDATE 31 October 2017 -- As mentioned in the comments, construction for Lowe's has begun, and the building is basically ripped open:
UPDATE 17 February 2018 -- Starting to look like a Lowes:
UPDATE 19 March 2018 -- Shaping up:
UPDATE 25 June 2018 -- Nearly there:
15 Responses to 'BI-LO, 4711 Forest Drive #1: October 2016'
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Matthew
28 Sep 16 at 11:56 am
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I checked and Trenholm Plaza's Publix is 37,943 square feet (when most of the other Publixes (except for Rosewood Center and Gervais Place)) are around 45,000 square feet.
Trenholm Plaza in general is difficult to deal with at times with regard to the parking lot. Sometimes I have to go to the Post Office on Saturdays and Trenholm Plaza's Forest Acres facility is one of two (the other being Sandhills) open until 2:00 so I take advantage of that and have found that the back area (behind the Post Office, Rosso, etc.) is the only space that parking isn't a premium.
As bad as Trenholm Plaza's Publix seems I think Publix's Gervais store is even tighter to deal with in terms of the overall parking lot, etc. though I'm happy for the life it's brought into the building it has.
I agree with Matthew saying it seemed tired and I think the reason for that has to do with the fact that this Bi-Lo (#5759) never really invested in remodeling the store to make it look like a Bi-Lo. Not only that, it also seemed bigger than all the other Bi-Los I've encountered and just didn't seem to fit the mold of a Bi-Lo. This is one of 4 other Bi-Los facing closure. One of the others in Lexington (#5757, Lake Murray Shopping Center, 760 Highway 378 West) is like this in terms of how it has retained the Piggly Wiggly decor though it seems more the size of a typical Bi-Lo.
As I've noted before I wish this would go back to being a Harris Teeter but I think it'd be best to remodel to current Harris Teeter standards.
With the Cardinal Newman property being overhauled and this vacancy now at Forest Park there is no doubt that there is a big overhaul this stretch of Forest Drive is seeing so stay tuned...
Andrew
28 Sep 16 at 6:30 pm
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I rode by this today and can confirm that all the Bi-Lo signage is off the building...
Andrew
3 Oct 16 at 9:16 pm
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They're putting a Lowe's grocery store there and Lowe's is AMAZING
Paige
11 Oct 16 at 10:12 am
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I'm looking forward to a Lowes on this side of town. Now if only they could do something with the former location of the Pig/Harris Teeter on Garner's ferry road.
I think an IGA would be a good fit for that location.
MrBO
12 Oct 16 at 4:44 am
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Can't post the article at The State as it's only on their electronic paper edition, but Lowes moving into the former Bi-lo is up-to-now, just speculation though someone from "Wild Birds" a few doors down said she heard it was a done deal. Other rumors is that Krogers might move there, Forest Acres might consolidate their government offices there, or Publix might move there.
I'd *really* like a Lowes there, but with the Fresh Market, Publix, Trader Joes in the immediate area and a Wal-Mart and Krogers just down the road, the market's pretty saturated.
(Heck, I've pointed out that when I grew up in Pittsburgh, our only choice in grocers was Krogers, A&P and a local store: Thorougfare - I'm sort of amazed at the number of groceries in this market)
MrBO
15 Oct 16 at 5:56 am
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The same story was in the 'hardcopy' edition this morning as well.
Homer
15 Oct 16 at 11:33 am
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Lowes is now confirmed.
ted
19 May 17 at 1:49 pm
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We went into the Lowes at Pawleys Island a couple of months back, and it was amazing. I got some sausage from their dedicated sausage counter, sampled three different beers from their growler station, and tried to convince my wife to buy pretty much everything from their hot food bar in the deli bakery, even though we had gone there directly from eating a huge dinner at a local restaurant.
I would be giddy if they repurposed the Friarsgate Bilo in Irmo into a Lowes, although that doesnt seem like a very upscale location. But i guess if they just razed the whole shopping center, they could start from scratch and make it upscale.
IrmoJeff
20 May 17 at 6:50 am
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Mr BO
20 May 17 at 7:28 am
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Drove past there today on my way from Trader Joe's to see that they've torn down the front wall. Looks like Lowes is going to be doing a major remodel.
Mr BO
28 Oct 17 at 1:14 pm
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They've got back-hoes inside the store tearing up the concrete floor. Looks like they're doing some serious remodeling to get the place the way they want it.
Mr BO
22 Nov 17 at 5:40 am
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we got a lowes foods as well in summerville
Sean Spangler
5 May 18 at 9:22 pm
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Lowe's Foods opening date is July 18 as I understand...
Andrew
2 Jul 18 at 8:13 pm
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In anticipation of the opening of the Lowe's Foods here todays' The State had an article describing the 6 pack of grocery stores that Forest Drive will have...
Andrew
17 Jul 18 at 10:07 pm
I liked the Pig when it was the Pig, but once Bi-Lo took it over the store just seemed... tired. I tried going a few times, but I had trouble finding products, could never find the brands I wanted, and the store always smelled off. Like old produce and bad fish, two things one never wants to smell in a grocery store. Full disclosure, I shop at Publix and Trader Joe's, but make every effort to go during off-hours because parking at both places ranges from a real nuisance to downright impossible during busy hours. And Publix gets really cramped when it's crowded. It's like they took their design and then downsized it by about 20%, I guess to fit that space.