Army-Navy Store

Columbia’s Army-Navy Store was established Daniel “Danny” Roth (1910-1988) and Samuel “Sam” Bloom (1877-1951) in 1947, following Danny’s service in World War II. Initially operating under the name Carolina Surplus Sales Corp., Danny and Sam opened at 1036 Washington Street where they bought and sold army surplus property, clothing, footwear, and textiles. After Sam’s death in 1951, Danny managed the store alone and later expanded his business to include a 2,400 square foot portion of the Robinson Building in 1983. When he died in 1988, Danny left the store to his great-nephew, Andrew “Andy” Zalkin (1953-2023). Andy continued operating at 1621 Main Street until the building was purchased by LTC Hospitality Services in 2016. He later reopened as Army & Navy in the Capitol Square Shopping Center at 463 Sunset Boulevard in West Columbia and then closed the store in 2022, after 75 years in business.

Just before leaving his Main Street address, Andy recalled a fond memory in the store, noting “When Michael Jackson was in town and his car pulled up out front and he came in shopping for jeans, I remember you couldn’t even see the sunlight coming in through the front windows of the store for all the faces that had crowded around for a look at him.”¹

¹ Janet Jones Kendall, “Army Navy Store might be Closing,” State, October 30, 2015, 16.