Hey, chain shoppers, Whole Foods, Costco & Trader Joes are rumored to be knocking around Columbia, again. (Charleston: how much, bankruptcy)

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by Columbiadata

Funny how my OP clearly is devoid of any indication whatsoever that I give a hoot about anywhere but Columbia as it relates to the possibility that Columbia's chain shoppers might be encouraged that at least there are hints that some of their favorite chains may think about coming to Columbia, yet the thread has become all about what Greenville currently has that Columbia doesn't. Things aren't always as they seem, including chain stores that seem like a good thing. I'm just sayin'. I didn't start this thread for the usual 'my city has something your city hasn't even shown up yet on a list of the store my city has that your city doesn't.'

Every thread ends up that way; a main reason I rarely post on here any more.

[GSP101]

Originally Posted by g-man430

Now are you saying that because you truly believe it or are you saying that because you're jealous Greenville has a TJ's and Columbia doesn't? Charlotte and Greenville stores both receive the same products from the TJ's distribution center in Atlanta. I've been to the stores in Charlotte and the one in Greenville many times. Store size (13,000 square feet) and product selection are pretty much exactly the same. I've been able to find everything that has been available at the Charlotte stores at the Greenville one. Oh and remember that TJ's switches out products on a regular basis.

Do we have to go down this road again with the Greenville is great argument? Maybe he was in Charlotte when the selection was what he wanted. People have more to do than to be jealous of Greenville. Besides, if you are going to drive to a TJ's from Columbia, you should at least go to a city where there is a lot of other shopping options. The original intent of the thread is about stores, which are long overdue, shopping around Columbia for real estate. Hopefully a deal gets worked out to bring the stores into the area.

[davey123]

Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Costco, these are all great stores. I, for one, am very excited about the possibility of them coming. Yet, I am also somewhat confused by this news. I thought the last time this topic came up, we were told that stores like Whole Foods would not come to Columbia because of the "fractured" geography, and that we were waiting for a larger build-up of people in these geographic locations. What has changed?

[Charlestondata]

Not to assume they will come at all, but perhaps two areas are at least in the conversation because both have attained or are approaching the numbers the companies are looking for. I'm thinking some companies might be waiting on the Census Bureau to crunch out all the numbers for them from the 2010 census.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by davey123

Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Costco, these are all great stores. I, for one, am very excited about the possibility of them coming. Yet, I am also somewhat confused by this news. I thought the last time this topic came up, we were told that stores like Whole Foods would not come to Columbia because of the "fractured" geography, and that we were waiting for a larger build-up of people in these geographic locations. What has changed?

Thats why I would have thought Forest Acres and Columbia 'proper' would be the ideal location since it is "technically" in the middle of this fractured geography. Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Wegmans, and something like an IKEA (for example) will compel people to drive to them regardless of where they are located within a given metro area. They seem like destination retail type of establishments particuliarly in an area like Columbia where you can drive from one side of the metro to the other in less than 30 minutes (outside of rush hour...)

[gsupstate]

Originally Posted by Woodlands

Thats why I would have thought Forest Acres and Columbia 'proper' would be the ideal location since it is "technically" in the middle of this fractured geography. Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Wegmans, and something like an IKEA (for example) will compel people to drive to them regardless of where they are located within a given metro area. They seem like destination retail type of establishments particuliarly in an area like Columbia where you can drive from one side of the metro to the other in less than 30 minutes (outside of rush hour...)

Exactly. That fracture geography idea never held much water, since other cities with fracture geography get the same stores. Whole Foods and Trader Joes were smart in Greenville by putting their stores at the 85 / 385 area which is almost the exact center of the metro and serves the fracture geography / high income demographic areas of the Eastside, the Golden Strip and the near mountain north areas of Cliffs Valley, Green Valley, Mountain Park, etc. Seems a central area in Columbia would work perfectly.

[Charlestondata]

Unless we do the research necessary to compare the Columbia metro to the other "fractured geography" metros to find out how many people above whatever median income live in each fractured area, then we don't know whether we're comparing apples to apples. Until we do that research or get certain questions answered by the companies themselves, the reasons one city has a store or business that another one doesn't aren't clear, and the my city has something your city doesn't have game continues with no substance behind it. And another Columbia thread becomes a Greenville is better than Columbia platform. And life goes on.

[Akhenaton06]

Several other cities do have fractured geography, but that was not the reason that's been given as to why Columbia has lagged in attracting national retailers. It's because the major retail nodes are fractured, particularly the two largest on Harbison and Two Notch. Other similarly-sized cities tend to have one major concentrated retail node so they have more critical mass in one centralized location. Columbia lacks that, but retailers may be seeing evidence of a suitable critical mass beginning to develop along Harbison in particular.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

Several other cities do have fractured geography, but that was not the reason that's been given as to why Columbia has lagged in attracting national retailers. It's because the major retail nodes are fractured, particularly the two largest on Harbison and Two Notch. Other similarly-sized cities tend to have one major concentrated retail node so they have more critical mass in one centralized location. Columbia lacks that, but retailers may be seeing evidence of a suitable critical mass beginning to develop along Harbison in particular.

I guess Harbison has the edge because of its proximity to Lake Murray and all of the development occuring in Irmo,Lexington, and towards Newberry. At some point Clemson Road may be extended from Blythewood over the River into Harbison which provide more connectivity between the NW and the NE and link them more closely together. I see Blythewood and North Richland County being the next frontier of growth because of schools, interstate access not to mention jobs. I see the City investing heavily both NE and NW Richland right now with annexations and infrastructure and less in Lower Richland. I believe the Mayor blocked a recent vote to extend water and sewer into Lower Richland??? probably because he sees more value in investing more in NE and NW which could pad the City's higher income residential tax base.

[Charlestondata]

I see Columbia following the national trend of people moving back into the city, especially young professionals. Forest Drive and the Devine Street area would make good locations for the chains in question.