To return to the full series page, click here. Shopping centers in central Alabama 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 shopper Tracy Mayfield. While the popularity of online shopping presents challenges for brick-and-mortar stores, many people in central Alabama still prefer to shop at The Summit. “It feels like a vibrant place,” said shopper Abi Branson, who has been visiting The Summit since she lived in Dothan. “I drive a couple hours to get to The Summit,” she added. Jeffrey Bayer and David Silverstein, owners of The Summit, aimed to bring a unique retail option to Birmingham when they opened the center in the 1990s. “Our first goal was to bring retail that wasn’t here and should be here,” Silverstein said. “There must be 30 to 40 stores that don’t have a second store in Birmingham or that aren’t in Birmingham. It’s the most concentrated collection of stores in the entire state,” Beyer said. Stores like Travis Mathews, Untuck It and the new Peter Miller store are unique to Alabama and can only be found at The Summit. These unique, upscale stores attract shoppers from throughout the region. “A lot of sales tax was leaking from Birmingham to Atlanta,” Silverstein said. The Summit offers more than just shopping. It features dining and entertainment options, including multiple specialty restaurants, fine dining and an AMC theater. “The goal is for people to come here and experience it all,” Beyer said. Silverstein emphasized the importance of the center’s aesthetics. “We’re focused on making sure it’s beautifully landscaped. It’s very clean and safe,” he said. The Summit’s success benefits Birmingham and the city of Birmingham. Not only will Summit benefit from its success, but so will the city of Birmingham. “Right now, Summit generates a little over $15 million, maybe $16 million in sales tax revenue that goes into the city’s general fund,” Silverstein said. Summit accounts for 11% of Birmingham’s total sales tax revenue, which was $147 million last fiscal year. Don’t see the chart above? Click here. Beyer and Silverstein continue to work to make Summit an attractive destination for people in the Southeast. “Summit offers an opportunity to experience entertainment in an environment that you would find in other large cities. It’s been our goal from the beginning to give Birmingham something that can compete with Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte and other southern cities,” Beyer said. Tuscaloosa’s Midtown Village is a vibrant open-air shopping center that contrasts with the indoor University Mall across the street. Midtown Village’s HollyAnn Bemis believes the open-air concept is what draws the 75,000 people who pass by McFarland Boulevard every day. “That’s one of the differences between outdoor and indoor malls. You see Midtown Village every time you walk by. You don’t see what an indoor mall has to offer,” Bemis said. Bemis noted that Midtown Village’s open spaces and playgrounds help draw shoppers, and the center hosts several large events each year. “We follow up with retailers after each event, and we always seem to see more foot traffic after an event,” Bemis said. Outdoor shopping centers nationwide are seeing a 6% increase in foot traffic over last year, according to location analytics company Placer.ai. Midtown Village plans to continue hosting large outdoor events, and The Summit’s owners have plans for future growth.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama —
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Central Alabama 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 amazing,” shopper Tracy Mayfield said.
While the rise of online shopping has posed a challenge for brick-and-mortar stores, many central Alabamans still prefer to shop at Summit.
“It feels like a vibrant place,” said shopper Abi Branson, who has been going to Summit since she lived in Dothan.
“It takes about a two-hour drive to visit the summit,” she added.
Summit owners Jeffrey Bayer and David Silverstein aimed to bring unique retail options to Birmingham when they opened the center in the 1990s.
“Our goal on day one was to bring in retail that wasn’t here and should be here,” Silverstein said.
“There must be 30 to 40 stores in Birmingham or outside the state that don’t have a second location,” Beyer said.
Stores such as Travis Matthew, Untuck-It and the new Peter Millar store are unique to Alabama and can only be found in The Summit – these unique, upscale stores draw shoppers from throughout the region.
“A lot of sales tax was leaking from Birmingham to shoppers in Atlanta,” Silverstein said.
In addition to shopping, Summit offers dining and entertainment options including specialty restaurants, fine dining restaurants and an AMC theater.
“The goal is for people to be able to come here and do it all,” Beyer said.
Silverstein stressed the importance of the center’s aesthetics.
“We’re focusing on making sure the landscaping is beautiful. It’s very clean and safe,” he said.
A boon for Birmingham
The success of the summit will also benefit the city of Birmingham.
It’s not just the Summit that benefits from its own success, but the city of Birmingham as well.
“Right now, Summit generates a little over $15 million, probably $16 million in sales tax revenue that goes into the city’s general fund,” Silverstein said.
Summit accounted for 11 percent of Birmingham’s total sales tax revenue of $147 million last fiscal year.
Can’t see the chart above? Click here.
Bayer and Silverstein continue to work to ensure The Summit remains an attractive destination for people throughout the Southeast.
“It will provide an opportunity to experience the entertainment environment that you would find in other major cities. That has been our goal from the beginning to give Birmingham something that can compete with Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte and other Southern cities,” Beyer said.
Tuscaloosa’s Midtown Village is a vibrant open-air shopping center that stands in stark contrast to the indoor University Mall across the street, and Midtown Village’s HollyAnn Bemis believes the open-air concept draws in the 75,000 people who pass through McFarland Boulevard each day.
“That’s another difference between an outdoor mall and an indoor mall. Every time you drive by you see Midtown Village. At an indoor mall you don’t see what an indoor mall has to offer,” Bemis said.
Bemis noted that Midtown Village’s open spaces and playgrounds help attract shoppers, and the center hosts several large events each year.
“I follow up with retailers after each event and we always seem to see increased foot traffic after these events,” Bemis said.
According to location analytics company Placer.ai, visitor numbers at outdoor shopping centers nationwide are up 6% from last year.
Midtown Village plans to continue hosting large outdoor events, and The Summit’s owners are planning for future growth.
