Food Lion to Anchor North Charleston Festival Centre
North Charleston business owners should prepare for increased customer traffic when the store opens in October 2027.
Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Food Lion plans to occupy a space at the Festival Centre in North Charleston, ending a grocery vacancy at the shopping center that has persisted since 2013. The grocer will co-anchor the 325,347-square-foot facility alongside Planet Fitness beginning in October 2027.
Why it matters
The addition of a major grocery anchor is intended to drive foot traffic for existing tenants and stabilize the occupancy of the $21.75 million commercial property. For local operators, the move signals a shift in property management strategy under new ownership to revitalize long-dormant retail space.
Woodlock Capital acquired the 325,347-square-foot Festival Centre for $21.75 million in 2024. Food Lion, which currently operates 17 locations in South Carolina and 1,164 across the U.S., will join the center following a vacancy that has lasted since 2013.
The players
Food Lion
A regional grocery chain with 1,164 stores in the United States.
Woodlock Capital
A commercial real estate investment firm that purchased the Festival Centre for $21.75 million in 2024.
Planet Fitness
A national fitness center chain serving as a co-anchor for the shopping center.
The details
Woodlock Capital acquired the Festival Centre in 2024 and began lease negotiations with Food Lion in November 2024. The grocer will backfill the space formerly occupied by American Freight, executing a strategy to boost center visibility and traffic counts. The property owner selected the tenant based on demographic analysis and the goal of restoring grocery service to the facility.
Timeline
2013: A Piggly Wiggly store closed at the shopping center.
2024: Woodlock Capital acquired the Festival Centre.
November 2024: Woodlock Capital began negotiations with Food Lion.
October 2027: The new Food Lion store is expected to open.
Market Landscape
This development follows the broader retail industry trend of prioritizing daily-needs grocery anchors to stabilize commercial property occupancy. It marks a departure from the multi-year vacancy cycle seen at the Festival Centre since the departure of a previous grocery tenant.
Business owners in the vicinity should monitor the anticipated October 2027 opening for a potential increase in customer traffic to the Ashley Phosphate Road corridor. Property managers and local operators should evaluate how this anchor shift influences their own lease renewal strategies and trade area projections.
The takeaway
The successful integration of a grocery anchor can fundamentally alter the competitive profile of an underperforming retail site. Operators should track the project's timeline to October 2027 to assess the ripple effects on local traffic patterns and consumer demand in North Charleston.
Further reading
For more on shifting retail trends in the area, visit North Charleston Openings & Closings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Post and Courier.
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