CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO FULL SERIES PAGE Central Alabama's shopping centers are thriving despite the rise of online shopping, with The Summit in Birmingham and Midtown Village in Tuscaloosa leading the way. "The Summit is great," said Tracey Mayfield, a shopper. The popularity of online shopping presents challenges for brick-and-mortar stores, but many people in Central Alabama still prefer shopping at The Summit.
"It feels like a vibrant place," said Abbi Brunson, a shopper who has been visiting The Summit since she lived in Dothan. "I would drive a couple of hours to visit The Summit," she added. The Summit's owners, Jeffrey Bayer and David Silverstein, aimed to bring unique retail options to Birmingham when they opened the center in the 1990s.
"Our goal day one was to bring retail that was not here that should be here," said Silverstein. "I bet you we have some 30 to 40 that do not have second locations in Birmingham or not in the state," said Bayer. Stores like Travis Matthew, Untuck-It, and the new Peter Millar store are unique to Alabama and can only be found at The Summit.
These unique and luxury stores attract shoppers from across the region. "There was a lot of sales tax leakage coming from Birmingham to shop in Atlanta," Silverstein said. The Summit offers more than just shopping.
It features dining and entertainment options, including several specialty restaurants, fine dining, and an AMC Theatre. "The goal is for people to be able to come here and do it all," Bayer said. Silverstein emphasized the importance of the center's aesthetics.
"We focus on making sure the landscaping is beautiful. It's very clean and safe," he said. The success of The Summit also benefits the city of Birmingham.
It's not just The Summit benefiting from its own success, the city of Birmingham gets a share as well. "Today, The Summit produces a little over $15 million, maybe $16 million of sales tax revenue that goes into the general fund of the city," Silverstein said. The Summit contributes 11% of Birmingham's total sales tax revenue, which was $147 million last fiscal year.
Can't see the graphic above? Click here . Bayer and Silverstein are continually working to make The Summit a desirable destination for people across the Southeast. "It does provide the opportunity to come to an environment entertainment that you would find in other major cities.
That was the goal all along to give Birmingham something that allowed it to compete with Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, other southern cities," Bayer said. Midtown Village in Tuscaloosa is another thriving open-air shopping center, contrasting with the indoor University Mall across the street. Hollyann Bemis of Midtown Village believes the open-air concept attracts the 75,000 people who pass by daily on McFarland Boulevard.
"That's another thing about an outdoor mall versus an indoor mall; whenever you're passing through, you're going to see Midtown Village. With an indoor mall, you're not going to see what an indoor mall has to offer," Bemis said. Bemis noted that the open space and playground at Midtown Village help draw shoppers, and the center hosts several large events each year.
"After each event, I will follow up with the retailers, and they always seem to have more foot traffic after these events," Bemis said. According to Placer.ai, a company that provides location analytics, outdoor shopping centers across the country are seeing a 6% increase in foot traffic from last year.
Midtown Village plans to continue hosting large outdoor events, and The Summit's owners have plans for future growth..
