A Review of the New Edisto Beach Bi-Lo

The Bi-Lo’s been up and running in Edisto Beach for a solid five months, and people’s opinions on the store are mixed.

The store recently underwent some renovations to make the relatively small building look a little more up-to-date, but it didn’t do much in terms of space. However, beggars can’t be choosers, so locals and vacationers alike are making do with the limitations of the Edisto Beach Bi-Lo.

Here is a list of some of the great things about the store:

• Automatic doors were installed, which makes it easier to get in and out of the building during busy periods.
• The deli counter was re-done and the kitchen staff still makes some amazing dishes.
• The new lobster tank is always full of crustaceans waiting to go home to join shoppers for dinner (good news for customers, bad news for lobsters).
• If you get a loyalty card, points can be earned for discounts on groceries and gas
• New grocery carts and wheeled shopping baskets are convenient and much less rickety than their Piggly Wiggly predecessors.
• It seems almost everyone still calls it “The Pig.”

Here’s a list of some of the not-so-great aspects of the store:

• Groceries run out quickly during busy periods (that means you’ll be hard-pressed to get what you need during the summer months and holidays).
• Lines are long all throughout the day.
• The store is almost always full of people making it difficult to push a shopping cart without running into someone.
• Finding a place to park without having to walk through the blistering heat is an art form.
• The Bi-Lo doesn’t have cute t-shirts like the Piggly Wiggly.

To save yourself the hassle of shopping for groceries in a busy store with limited options, try driving up to Hollywood to check out the Food Lion or Piggly Wiggly. For more options, go to Publix located in the shopping center right off of Highway 17 on John’s Island. It’s about 45 minutes from the town of Edisto Beach, depending on traffic.

Fresh fruit and vegetables can be purchased on the island from George and Pinks, King’s Market, or GeeChee Boy. Odds and ends can also be purchased locally from the EZ Shop at the Horizon gas station on Palmetto Boulevard and Highway 164 or at the Edistonian general store located on Highway 164.

If you want to stock up on the basics before your next vacation, remember to do so at home, that way when you cruise onto Palmetto Boulevard to start your vacation, it won’t matter as much if the Bi-Lo has already run out of toilet paper.