Why You Should Want To Shop Monroeville/Monroe County

By Sandy Smith, Executive Director
Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber of Commerce

Monroe County is a wonderful place to live. See it through an outsiders eyes. We are blessed with many visitors to our area. Some are here on business, many come as tourists, visiting the museum and researching family trees, some are looking to relocate and they are searching for a community they can call home. If they come, even for a day, they are looking for a place to shop, eat, and visit.

There is no limit to Monroevilles retail potential. National demographic projections illustrate that a vast population shift is occurring, which will bring another 25,000,000 people within 50 miles of the east or west coasts within the next decade. Although Alabama is not projected to be a high growth state, some of that growth will come off the coast to the inland counties, such as Monroe. The U. S. population reached 300,000,000 in October, 2006. It is projected to grow by another 100,000,000 within the next 36 years. A staggering 52% of this new growth is projected to come from immigration. The retirement population is projected to grow 120% over the next 35 years, while the working age population replacing it will increase just 20%. If you are a business owner, realize that those new faces who are shopping with you today may be your best customers tomorrow. One of our biggest challenges as a small community is to encourage our own residents to value what we have to offer and to shop locally. Additionally, area merchants may want to take into consideration addition of new merchandise and services directed toward some of this projected growth.

Contributing To The Community

It is no secret that the world is changing. Many of the changes taking place are not friendly to our hometown retailers. Yet these are the people who, according to National Trust research, traditionally return 60% of their profits to the community. This return may be measured in support for community projects, such as educational programs, sports programs, support for charitable institutions, payrolls, health insurance and benefits, and buying locally. Whereas a hometown retailer is returning 60% of his profits to the community, a big box store is returning a range from as low as 5% to as high as 43%, according to The National Trust. So why not take advantage of some of the wonderful opportunities to purchase locally offered by hometown merchants? And if you are buying from a big box store, such as a Walmart, why not try your own Walmart first?

New Opportunities On The Retail Front

In August of 2005, the City of Monroeville voted to allow municipal sales of alcoholic beverages. According to research, cities that limit the sale of alcohol discourage development of restaurants and other retail establishments that accompany restaurant development. Monroeville, in voting for this option, has taken a giant step forward. Cities in dry counties that have allowed the sale of alcohol have had a significant competitive advantage in attracting new retail growth. This does not mean that just because the City of Monroeville is allowing alcohol sales that any sales growth will be derived from alcoholic beverage sales. To the contrary, the focus is on total retail sales. In summary, the city should eventually see a substantial increase in total retail sales, and with an emphasis on retail recruitment, should be able to grow its retail base. This increase will be reflected also in increased sales tax revenues for the citynot necessarily collected on alcohol sales, but overall there should be a significant increase in sales tax revenues. Sales tax is the citys single largest source of revenue and is what allows the city to fund services to residents. A decline in sales tax collections translates to a cut in city services if no additional sources of revenue are found. Sales tax rates for the Monroeville area are as follows: State of Alabama: 4%; City of Monroeville: 1.5%; Monroe County: 2.5%. Thus, when you make a retail purchase in the City of Monroeville, your sales tax rate is 8%. And a part of that 8% comes back to this community.

Sales Tax History

Reviewing the history of Monroevilles sales tax revenue provides insight into how our retail community is faring: Following 2001, revenue dropped drastically by 15.35%, then began rebounding in 2003-2004, climbing by 6.82%. Last year, largely as a result of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, sales tax revenue was the highest it has been since the year 2000, increasing by a whopping 14.09%. It decreased slightly during 2005-2006, declining by 1.07%.

The Holiday SeasonCritical To Area Retailers

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, retailers count on holiday sales for as much as 40% of their annual sales, and half of their annual profits. Forecasters are predicting overall national sales gains ranging from 2.5% to 7.5%. Our Monroe County retailers are competing for their piece of this pie.

Hometown Retailers

Recent additions to our retail community include: Sandra K. Casey, Artworks; Sam Williams, Potter find them at 173 North Mount Pleasant Street; Ambience Day Spa, off the Square at 54 North Alabama Avenue in the former Beelands Building; Peebles Department Store, in the former location of B. C. Moores; Bobbie Martins Hilltop Bakery, just north of Burger King in the former location of Daynas Sweet Shop, open 9am 4pm daily. Visit the Old Monroeville Factory Outlet Centerwhere you will find Estelle Roysters Perfume Shop. Visit The Carriage House in the former location of Magnolia Cottage, for a great and flowering first impression of Monroeville! Do not neglect our hometown retailers on the Square and long time Chamber of Commerce members who are the foundation of Monroevilles retail community. They are: Owens Hardware; Johnson Jewelers; Hainjes Home Furnishings. Other retailers on the Square include Finishing Touches, For Heavens Sake, The Sweet Tooth Bakery, Womacks Hardware, Rowell Rentals, Danices, Courthouse Cafe and The Nail Shoppe. For specialty advertising items, see Brett Loftin at Southern Advertising Specialties, Randy Watson at TRW Promotions. Mark and Aubrey Evers at The Printery, or Bo Bolton and his staff at The Monroe Journal. And if you are vehicle shopping, be sure to stop by Lee Motor Company and Sales Ford, who are two long time Chamber of Commerce members! For photography, remember Aaron White and Alex Roberts! And while you are heading south on Alabama Avenue, remember to stop and shop My Favorite Things for unique gift items. Deas Building Supply, Floors to Go, and Swift Supply have the perfect item if you are doing home remodelingand you may also wish to take a look at Fergusons for some great plumbing fixtures. On the bypass, try McNiders ACE Hardware, turn on Vanity Fair Drive and shop VF Factory Outlet, and then drive on down to Hutchersons Jewelry.

Why Competition In Retail Is Intense

Consider that in 1960, there was 4 square feet per person of retail space in the United States. Today there is 40 square feet per person, and there is buying power to support only 17 square feet per person. In 1950, a typical retail trade area encompassed a 15-mile radius. Todays retail trade area is, on average, a 50-mile radius, with close to 4,500 dead and dying shopping centers in the United States. Our area retailers are entrepreneurs who serve our community. The next time you call on one for a donation, please make sure that you are a loyal customer, and realize that they are in business, as is everyone else, to make a profit. When they can no longer make a profit, they will close their doors.

How Can We Attract More Retail Dollars?

Monroeville and Monroe County are uniquely positioned to attract tourists due to the museums emphasis on Alabama as The Literary Capital and its permanent exhibits honoring writers Nelle Harper Lee and Truman Capote. The play, To Kill A Mockingbird brings in over 6,000 visitors per season, coupled with the several hundred that visit Monroeville for the Alabama Writers Symposium hosted by Alabama Southern Community College. This does not include the several thousand people that are visiting throughout the year to see the Lee and Capote exhibits and to soak up the atmosphere of the town that inspired these authors. And we should not overlook our business travelers. Corporate travel keeps our motels rooms with high occupancy rates, and can also benefit area merchants through sales of gas, food, apparel, and gifts.

Yet, are we, as a community, making the most of our opportunities to sell these tourists and business travelers? Based on research by the Travel Industry of America, shopping is a definite ingredient of the typical travel experience. In further surveys by the TIA, the survey found that travelers like to visit stores not found in their hometowns with 73% reporting that they like to shop in stores not available near their homes, and with 53% reporting that they go shopping on trips to find items not found in their hometown. How can we, as a community of retailers, entice these traveling tourists to visit our shops, and to purchase these unique items? As a Chamber of Commerce, we are looking at hosting some new retail events to bring people into our stores. Also, as a community of retailers, we need to remember that online shopping is now one of our major competitors. According to additional research, a hometown retailer can quadruple his sales through developing a presence on the web. Since travelers are typically researching our area on the web, the presence of a strong retail marketplace on our chamber website should help draw more visitors to our local shops.

The Role of The Mockingbird Market in Hometown Retail

Special events, such as The Mockingbird Market, bring a retail focus to the community. The Market allows hometown retailers access to a new customer base, at the very reasonable booth price of $ 75 to $ 125. This grants the retailer access to new customers who may not have frequented his store. As one out-of-town retailer noted, this is cheap advertising. The market also allows out-of-town merchants access to Monroevilles market. If they have a pleasant experience here, there is always the possibility that they will open their own business here, or perhaps even purchase a home. We are constantly being told by consumers that Monroeville needs more retail. Retail attracts retail, which attracts shoppers. The Mockingbird Market is a venue which celebrates the retail that we have, for those who wish to take advantage of it. Several local vendors participated in the 2006 market. Several local home-based businesses also participated. In their case, the market may assist them with attracting enough of a customer base that they can open their own storefronts, thus adding to Monroe Countys revenue stream. The Mockingbird Market is a reunion of sortsseveral Monroe Countians returned and visited the market with their respective families. There were many mothers and daughters who came together, as well as grandparents and grandchildren. One of the highlights this year was the arrival of the Red Hat Society from Andalusiaa group of 30 to 35 out of town shoppers who visited Monroeville for the day, and who otherwise may not have come. The Mockingbird Market and other such special events helps Monroeville as a city attract more consumers.

Developing A Small Towns Retail Base:

There are unique pockets of retail throughout Monroe County, in addition to those found in Monroeville. Who can visit Frisco City without stopping at D & D, or going to Larrys Drive Inn for lunch or dinner? Have you been to Beatrice recently? If not, drive north on Highway 21 and visit Beatrices Main Street and shop Miss Minnies Antiques & Gifts, the O. B. Finklea Country Store, Chandlers Meat Market, The Kwik Way Deli, and Notewoods, a musical coffee shop. Perdue Hill would not be Perdue Hill without Top of the Hill and the Broughton Store. By the same token, if you find yourself on Highway 17 in the Finchburg area, chances are you will want to take advantage of McKissicks Store. And one of Monroe Countys most famous landmarks is the Lowery Trust Store at Burnt Corn. This is always a favorite place for a picture when Monroe County Leadership Now plans its annual retreat throughout the county. There are so many other unique places to go and unique things to discover in Monroe County.

What Our Demographics Tell Us About Our Prospective Customer

According to a 2005 demographic report on Monroe County, within a 30-mile radius of downtown Monroeville there are 72,140 consumers. To narrow that radius, there are 19,923 in a 10 mile radius; and 32,555 within a 20-mile radius. If you are a retailer, these are the folks that are your prospective customers, along with anyone to whom you can sell on the worldwide web. Of these consumers, within a 30-mile radius, 23,978 work outside the home. To narrow that radius, within 10-miles, 7,221 work outside the home, with an average travel to work time of 18.1 minutes. If they work outside the home, chances are these people may not be able to visit a hometown retailer between the hours of 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday. Perhaps for our local retailers to extend hours would bring in more business through these working people. Chances are that it will take some special events to draw additional traffic, but in the long run, this may be a very worthwhile venture for local businesses who wish to gain access to new customers.

Why Shop In Our Hometown

The above scenarios and statistics underscore why we all need to remember our hometown retailers and shop locally first! We live in a global economy, but we must be somewhat protectionist in promoting our community, our state and our nation. Who does not rejoice in finding products made in Alabama, such as Golden Flake Potato Chips and Milos Ice Tea, when so many of our products have moved to offshore and far eastern production? They may cost more, but by the same token, they employ Alabama people, and put money back into Alabamas economy, in much the same way Radleys Fountain Grill or Cherry Street Barbecue put money back into Monroe Countys economy. And other reasons to shop our local retailers include convenience, customer service, and uniqueness. Many times when you buy locally, you can purchase an item found only here! In a world where every town is beginning to look more and more like every other town, we should value our town square and our historic homes and buildings. According to the Urban Land Institute, 80% of everything built in America has been built since World War II. According to Ed McMahon of the Urban Land Institute, Monroeville and Monroe County should have plenty to celebrate because the small town worked for 300 years. We may not have a Superwalmart but we do have some super hometown merchants. Please try to remember them during this holiday season! If we expect to grow our county, we need to first support what is here.