This Alabama city is one of the only U.S. metros with increasing brick-and-mortar retail

A new report has found that brick-and-mortar retail is declining nationwide, quite unexpectedly. However, one Alabama city is bucking the trend. Here are the details.

Mobile, Alabama sees increasing brick-and-mortar retail

According to a new report from UpgradedPoints, “the U.S. lost 60,000 retail stores, marking a 12.6% decline in stores per capita” from 2011-2021. Big cities like Seattle, San Francisco, Austin and Washington DC saw even bigger losses—up to about 23% per capita. Between the rise of e-commerce and businesses shuttering due to COVID-19, this stat isn’t surprising.

The report revealed the South experienced the least dramatic declines in brick-and-mortar retail—but only one metro saw an increase in retail stores: Mobile, Alabama.

With a +.01% percentage increase in retail stores per capita and a +.06% percentage increase in retail stores overall, Mobile was one of just nine of the nearly 400 U.S. metros included in the study with increasing retail store rates.

From 2011-2021, Mobile gained 9 retail stores overall, bringing the total to 1,481 in 2021. Other cities with increasing retail stores included Salem, Ohio; Lumberton, North Carolina; London, Kentucky and five others.

More retail on the way for Mobile

In a recent announcement from the City of Mobile, plans for a new mixed-use waterfront development was revealed—River Walk Plaza. The $100M development will bring even more retail to Mobile’s vibrant community, and the groundbreaking is expected to be in 2025.

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