Retail

Consumer Stories

Local entrepreneur hosts pop-up event to celebrate fourth anniversary

A local entrepreneur is celebrating her fourth anniversary in business by hosting a pop-up event in downtown Augusta. Jasmine Ryans – owner and founder of an elegant plant-based skincare company called Soul(tre) Natural, will hold the event on Sunday, Sept.19 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Augusta & Co. located at 1010 Broad St. near Pineapple Ink Tavern. Attendees will have the opportunity to see live demonstrations with models and shop for the company’s toxin-free products, which include moisturizing creams and facial cleansers. According to a news release issued

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Discount store adds its 4th location in the CSRA

Big Lots is spreading its’ savings evenly between both sides of the Savannah River with word that the discounter is taking a corner, anchor spot in the Silver Bluff Commons Shopping Center. That is located at the corner of Silver Bluff Road and Pine Log Road. Big Lots will join current tenants including: Nail Palace, MAU, H & R Block, Mi Pueblo Mexican Grill and Vinyl Tyme. This is the second Big Lots in South Carolina in our market with the store at 406 E. Martintown Road in North Augusta.

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Riverwood Shopping centers are sold-out!

Marcella’s Cigars is out and Postal Annex (see above left) is in. The old adage seems to be “you snooze, you lose” is fitting with the rate of speed in which vacancies are being turned into new tenants at either the Riverwood Plantation Shopping Center, owned by Echo Realty/leased by Jordan Trotter Commercial Real Estate (the part connected to Publix). “We have Swank going into the former Madison’s Closet space and Vampire Penguin (ice cream/dessert shop) which is going into the (former White House) dry cleaner space,” said DJ Snead,

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Local bridal boutique opening before wedding season

Location. Location. Location. Co-owners Jessica Baskette and Jennifer Grubbs of Lace and Veil Bridal Boutique carefully picked the storefront to open this November. It’s in the Petersburg Shoppes at 500 Furys Ferry Road, just a few doors from “Final Cut” (former site of Bi-Lo). “We are in love with our location for a number of reasons. We are nestled in the heart of Columbia County and surrounded by other great, small business owners. Also, our brides will find it easy to locate our boutique,” said Ms. Grubbs. Jordan Trotter Commercial

Read More »
Biz Sectors

New female-focused businesses part of downtown Augusta growth

Brianne Martin and Danielle Harmadi – a pair of sisters originally from Wisconsin – recently launched their own business in downtown Augusta. Martin and Harmadi (see photo above) opened Freshwater Design Co. – located at 1022 Broad St. – on Thursday, Aug. 5. Freshwater sells a variety of handcrafted leather and acrylic jewelry and accessories, such as bracelets, keychains, and earrings, as well as drinkware, pennants, and wall art. “We are a studio and shop,” says Martin. In the studio, the sisters and their staff create these products for their

Read More »
Consumer Stories

National chain opens Augusta stores in uncertain Halloween season

Last Halloween was more timid than usual in the CSRA—with some families not participating or others leaving buckets of candy unattended at the front door—due to Covid19. The spread of the Delta variant of Covid isn’t stopping the Spirit Halloween store chain. The next local store is set to open at the Augusta Mall. Spirit is replacing the Charming Charlie’s store, a closed woman’s boutique at the Mall. The grand opening is planned for this Friday, two full months before the big day on October 31st. Another Spirit store is

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Several new businesses to open near I-20 exit

A variety of new retail and construction businesses are coming to North Augusta. Brighter Side Roofing – founded in 2002 – plans to open a second location at 726 Edgefield Road in North Augusta, according to Samuel Leverette, the business’s owner. “We hope to break ground on construction by the end of the year,” says Leverette. “It’s no rush.” He explains Brighter Side previously had a location off West Avenue in North Augusta for seven years “Until we outgrew that location.” Leverette says he’s currently trying to find a general

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Competing brands go head to head in Evans shopping center

DJR’s Water Ice Company is moving into one side of the shopping center outside of the Riverwood subdivision. Less than 50 yards away in a different part of the center, Vampire Penguin’s Shaved Snow and Desserts is also getting ready to open. Next to DJR’s is Ocean Nails. Near Vampire Penguin is Sky Nail Salon. How could this happen? Both ends of the shopping center are owned and managed by different companies and even called by different names—one the Market at Riverwood and the other the Riverwood Town Center. That

Read More »
B2B Stories

New owner promises change at unconventional CSRA convenience store

A popular store in Aiken County now has a new owner. Andrew Siders – vice chairman of the Aiken County Council – bought Dave’s Grill & Grocery convenience store on Thursday, Aug. 12. Dave Golding – the previous owner – just retired after running the business for 38 years. Located at 3286 Wagener Road in the small town of Couchton, Dave’s Grill & Grocery is no ordinary convenience store. “We have a full grill,” says Siders. They serve a variety of meals, such as barbecue, chicken, hamburgers, and hot dogs.

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Value-priced Augusta retailer to replace trendy store in West Augusta

A new dollar store location will replace another long-time business in West Augusta. Dollar Tree will open the new location at 267 Robert C. Daniel Jr. Parkway in the Augusta Exchange shopping center – the former home of Pier 1 Imports, which closed all its stores last year after filing for bankruptcy protection in February 2020. (Thanks to ABD member Lance Danko for spotting this and the photo). The dollar store chain has multiple locations throughout the CSRA, including stores on Augusta West Parkway, Cabela Drive, and Washington Road in

Read More »