Before looking at opportunities off-post, be sure to check out
the excellent shopping opportunities offered at AAFES facilities on post. In
addition to quality and value, patronizing AAFES facilities puts money back into
the military community.
The Midlands area offers a great variety of
shopping experiences - from the downtown commercial center of Columbia, to many
area shopping centers and regional malls, to area retail centers such as Five
Points, St. Andrews, Northeast Columbia, and Triangle City.
Columbia
Place Mall:
The Midlands area's largest shopping area, located near I-20 on
US1 North(Two Notch Road) in the northeast section of Columbia. It's anchor
department stores are Sears, Rich's, JC Penney, Belks, and Dillard's. Located
some 4-5 miles from post, simply exit Gate 2 and take I-77 north. Take the first
exit (Exit #13), which puts you on Decker Blvd. Continue
straight under a bridge and Columbia Mall will be on your
left.
Richland Fashion Mall:
Columbia's first mall, it was opened in
1961 as Richland Mall. Since then, it has undergone major renovations, changes
in ownership and added many new tenants. It is located at Beltline Blvd and
Forest Drive in Forest Acres. The mall's anchor department stores are Dillard's,
JB White, and Parisian.
One of Columbia's most popular retail districts
is Five Points, the oldest concentrated shopping area in Columbia, with
specialty shops, restaurants and nightspots.
Uptown Columbia features
almost 300 businesses, including banks, governmental offices, restaurants and
retail shops. It is also the location of Columbia's largest
hotels.
Wal-Mart is located just outside Gate 2 on Forrest Drive.