Verizon Wireless customers need wait no longer for the new store in north Columbus.

Doors to the old 6740 Veterans Parkway outlet have been shuttered, with those at 6783 Veterans Parkway opening under what is known in the retail sector as a “soft launch.”

A late February grand opening is planned, a Verizon representative said today.

The new location has been touted by the company as one of the best performers in the nation and as the largest in Georgia, designed using a new prototype. It is located adjacent to Bonefish Grill restaurant, just across from Columbus Park Crossing.

Verizon and its prime competitor, AT&T, have been actively opening new stores in the Columbus and Phenix City market.

For AT&T, a new one debuted last year on Macon Road fronting Cross Country Plaza, while an authorized dealer located off Bradley Park Drive. Aside from its new Veterans Parkway locale, Verizon also set up shop several months ago in a structure shared with a McDonald’s eatery off U.S. Highway 280 in Phenix City.

-- Tony Adams