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Fred's, 736 Saint Andrews Road: 8 June 2013   22 comments

Posted at 10:38 pm in Uncategorized

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I've always had a soft spot for Fred's. That's probably because they came to Fernandina when I was in my teens or twenties and were a nice store withing easy walking distance of my Aunt's house to get pretty much any item we might need while visiting. I also liked that they left the big spanish-moss covered oak in their parking lot (inherited from the previous store) alone:

Some years after they moved into the Fernandina area, they started a big push into South Carolina, and on the whole, I think it has not been a success. I feel that perhaps they have too much overlap with Dollar General which got here first, and would have done better to put more Fred's in areas where people already knew the brand than pushing new stores into areas where there was no brand recognition. Of course, the economic crunch can't have helped any either..

I had not expected this Fred's to close as quickly as it did, especially given the protracted proceedings at the Saint Andrews Road Kmart. When I took the interior picture above on 19 May, the store was still almost fully stocked, and the discounts weren't really that good yet, but just a couple weeks later it was gone.

Written by ted on June 26th, 2013

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22 Responses to 'Fred's, 736 Saint Andrews Road: 8 June 2013'

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  1. I'm with you, Ted. I figured that they would be around for at least another month or so. I was in there around the same time you were and, like you said, they were pretty well stocked up. And, yes, for the most part the discounts were only between 5% and 20%. I can't believe they sold everything off in that short of a period. I wonder if they sold it off in bulk to someone else?

    I never went to Fred's before they were going out of business for a couple of reasons:
    1. I hardly ever go further down St. Andrews than Harbor Freight.
    2. I never thought of it since it was tucked back in the strip mall.
    3. I've got a Dollar General in Irmo, so that's where I go.

    Homer

    26 Jun 13 at 11:43 pm

  2. I recall as two Fred's closed at this time last year it was mentioned that there were leasing issues. I immediately suspected that lease was a why.

    If you want to shop Fred's, you'd have to go to Gaston or Batesburg/Leesville.

    The location at Platt Springs & Emmanuel Church Road closed as well.

    Andrew

    27 Jun 13 at 10:05 am

  3. I recall as two Fred's closed at this time last year it was mentioned that there were leasing issues. I immediately suspected that lease was a big reason why.

    If you want to shop Fred's, you'd have to go to Gaston or Batesburg/Leesville.

    The location at Platt Springs & Emmanuel Church Road closed as well.

    Andrew

    27 Jun 13 at 10:05 am

  4. How does the Badcock furniture store in this plaza stay in business? I used to live off St. Andrews and never saw but a few cars in the parking lot there.

    Justin

    27 Jun 13 at 11:31 am

  5. I think it has to do with characteristics of the furniture business:

    Furniture isn't a daily purchase.

    Furniture is a higher price item.

    Perhaps they don't need the day-to-day sales that a drugstore, grocery store or dollar store does in order to survive...

    Andrew

    27 Jun 13 at 10:07 pm

  6. Plus furniture is way over priced in general. Just like jewelry. Furniture and jewelry stores always have 'sales' because they know that they are still making a boatload of profit over what they paid for the merchandise.

    Homer

    29 Jun 13 at 3:47 am

  7. The signage is gone from this building as well as the one at Platt Springs and Emmanuel Church Road in Platt Springs center which closed around the same time as this one...Fred's closest locations are now in Gaston and Batesburg Leesville

    Andrew

    1 Jul 13 at 9:10 am

  8. Any truth to the rumors that they will be moving into the Old K-mart store on Saint Andrews road? I've heard Freds,Piggly wiggly and some country store type of thing ( I can't recall the name) are potential replacements for k-mart. Any ideas?

    Matt

    16 Jul 13 at 1:29 am

  9. Matt, those are definitely possibilities, but I wouldn't hold my breath for them. My rule is not to put much stock into rumors of that type until they're official.

    The thing of it is, the stores you speak of seek a much smaller size than what an average Kmart is so if they were to move in it would result in being subdivided depending on who wants what.

    At 2000 Avondale Drive in Durham, NC (along I-85), there is a former Kmart that has a Surplus Warehouse on one end and on another is a Harbor Freight Tools. The thing of it is, in the middle (think the white facade that once housed the Kmart signage) there is signage offering other space for lease to someone else. You can see for yourself on Google Streetview...

    Andrew

    16 Jul 13 at 10:41 am

  10. Thanks Andrew. I understand. I'll look into that. Where the old food lion is ( where big lots is now) across from the empty k-mart is divided the same way. If i recall big lots is in part of the space. The other space is still for lease. Hopefully K-mart won't stay empty for as long as the Piggly wiggly building in Irmo has been empty. If you are familiar with Irmo you know what i mean.

    Matt

    20 Jul 13 at 11:12 pm

  11. Here's the kicker about Big Lots #5123 taking over the former Food Lion at Seven Oaks Shopping Center: In August 1997/98, Eckerd moved out of Seven Oaks Shopping Center and built their current site at 6118 St. Andrews Road (Eckerd merged into Rite Aid in mid-late 2007). Then Food Lion closed in February 2010. That summer, Big Lots took over about ⅔ of the former Food Lion and on the opposite side compared to where Eckerd was left a vacant space comparable in size to what Eckerd had before they moved out. Now the question remains, 3 years later, who will open up there...Seven Oaks Shopping center has several vacancies but I have to believe that sooner or later, they will get filled someway, somehow...

    I learned to accept that these places can't stay vacant forever...case in point:

    Bush River Mall sat abandoned from 1999 until early 2006 when it was demolished to make way for the Bush River Village-anchored Walmart that sits there now.

    Kmart at 99 N Arrowwod Road closed in November 2009 and the property sold summer 2012 and is now NewSpring Church.

    A truck stop at I-26 and Piney Grove Road sat vacant after a 1998 fire but in early 2006 was demolished to make way for Sportman's Warehouse.

    The old Circuit City at 1950 Bush River Road was vacated in 1999 when Circuit City moved out to Columbiana Station and sat vacant until 2012 when Hamrick's moved in.

    I remember hating how vacant the original Piggly Wiggly #102 (655 St. Andrews Road) was for a while but finally Display center moved in but then closed (but left the signage up for a while) and finally CHEF'STORE opened up summer 2013.

    The Piggly Wiggly building at High Pointe Centere that Matt references has set vacant since early 2008. There have been numerous issues trying to getting it leased (based on the way Piggly Wiggly has handled things after they closed up shop) that have turned prospective tenants away but sooner or later, something HAS to work out for that building.

    I guess we'll just have to stay tuned

    Andrew

    21 Jul 13 at 3:14 pm

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  15. Next door to this is a former Ladie's Choice Fitness Center (which hasn't featured here yet) which has sat vacant since a summer 2012 closing. From what others have stated there was an Old Country Buffet here (I remember the restaurant being there in the mid 90s but couldn't remember what it was called until someone else said as such).

    This afternoon I noticed a crew doing some painting work which had me wondering if said space was being prepared for a new occupant. There wasn't any signage to indicate who would be taking it over so the best thing I know to do is stay tuned...

    Andrew

    29 Aug 14 at 4:39 pm

  16. The blue portion of the former Ladie's Choice next door has been painted red...the white wooden portion that was once white looks to be painted gold...it makes me hypothesize that there is an eating place looking to set up shop (will advise if I can figure anything further out so stay tuned).

    Andrew

    30 Aug 14 at 1:53 pm

  17. It now seems to tme as if a thrift store (not sure what it is to be called) is to open up next door in the former Ladies Chouce /Old Country Buffet ...in addition a thrift store is now open in the former Dressbarn at Dutch Square (neither one have featured here)...

    Andrew

    10 Sep 14 at 10:25 pm

  18. The former Ladies Choice that used to be next door is now home to a God Cares Charities Thrift Store...

    A truck they have in the parking lot inidcates they have locations at 7355 Garners Ferry Road and 1500 Millwood Avenue as well...

    Andrew

    25 Sep 14 at 12:21 am

  19. Don't get my cynical side started on these thrift stores either....lol

    Homer

    25 Sep 14 at 12:59 am

  20. In the spirit of CayceKid speaking to old things and stuff that used to be here, I figured I'd take the chance to note that this Fred's was once home to TJ Maxx (which moved out to Columbiana Station in 1999 when that facility was built) and then Eli's Fashion Warehouse...

    Eli's once had on their doors pics of people that were caught shoplifting from them but then business was bad for quite a while before they finally decided to close...

    Andrew

    27 Sep 14 at 9:01 pm

  21. WISTV has a writeup on the thrift store that is now open next door to this...

    Andrew

    5 Oct 14 at 9:55 pm

  22. Firefly Toys & Games has opened up here (moving from next door to the CHEF'STORE across the street)...

    Andrew

    2 Oct 18 at 6:24 pm

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