The gravity of grocery

Gayle Davison’s retirement came and went, and it left her with an important question.

For 31 years she served as a math teacher, her final 10 with Shelby County Schools. After leaving the classroom, she relaxed and traveled for a brief period before deciding that life had more work for her to do.

“So what’s next?” Davison said she thought to herself.

She loves shoes, so she considered selling them. And she loves flowers, so she thought about selling those as well. But after mulling it over, she decided doing either would be a fast track to falling out of love.

Her next venture turned out to be on the radio. She heard an advertisement for a tutoring business called Mathnasium and decided that starting a franchise on the U.S. 280 corridor was the answer. 

Then, deciding where to put it turned out to be the easiest decision she made.  

“The reason I came to Inverness Corners was because Winn-Dixie signed a lease there,” Davison said of her Mathnasium location that opened in October. “When I found this building, I felt really good. But as time has gone by, that green light that led me here has just gotten bigger and bigger.”

Representatives with Winn-Dixie said the store in Inverness Corners could be open by the end of November, filling a general grocery gap in the market along the corridor. The store is anticipated to be a flagship store for the company and should include a host of features to serve 280 residents.

“The amenities in our new Birmingham store offer a one-stop shopping experience unlike any other,” said Tim Flavin, Montgomery Region vice president of Winn-Dixie Stores, in a statement. “We’ve fine-tuned our store to reflect the needs and preferences of the local community, providing our customers with exceptional service and the freshest products at the right price.”

Flavin said the store would offer an array of custom-prepared, chef-inspired meals, a selection of organic fruits and vegetables and an expanded assortment of gluten-free, allergen-free, organic and natural products. In addition, the company is installing a carving station, butcher shop, cheese shop, barbecue bar and pharmacy and will offer an extensive wine selection, fresh seafood and sushi.

With the opening of the Inverness Corners store, Winn-Dixie plans to close its location at 2653 Valleydale Road. 

Winn-Dixie representative Michelle Lisotto confirmed the closing but was unable to specify the date operations would cease at that location or the date the Inverness Corners store would open.

However, when it does, Davison expects a dramatic increase in traffic past her storefront, and a sizable spike in business overall.

“Most of my students have parents who drop them off, and now they’ll have the opportunity to go right next door to do their grocery shopping with that hour instead of waiting in the parking lot,” she said.

Her line of thinking isn’t uncommon. Bayer Properties, the company responsible for managing Inverness Corners, is planning to advertise the shopping center’s empty spaces to service-based companies like hers. According to Bayer representative Sam Heide, restaurants, salons, spas and other similar businesses are likely to follow Winn-Dixie’s lead.

“They’re the perfect tenants for this type of center,” Heide said. “When somebody comes to do their grocery shopping, they can also get a manicure and have a bite for lunch.”

Heide wasn’t able to provide an exact number of vacancies in Inverness Corners, but currently, according to Bayer’s website, there are 15 retail openings. Heide said some spaces will be combined and used by a single tenant, some are already in negotiation for leasing and some contracts have been signed. He said a clothing alterations company has agreed to come in, and Bayer has been in discussions with a local restaurant company for another space in the center.

In the space right next to Winn-Dixie, M&M Jewelers intends to open its new location by mid-November. The store, started by Laura Robinson nearly 25 years ago, has been located on Cahaba River Road for the past six years. She said she selected her new site because Winn-Dixie was moving in.

“I’m happy with it,” Robinson said of her new location. “I’m looking forward to the move. I think it’s going to be a better location, and traffic will only increase more when [Grandview Medical Center] opens.”

Heide added he expects all spaces to be filled following the addition of Winn-Dixie, and that the grocery store’s presence would boost sales across the center. But not all tenants were happy with Winn-Dixie coming in.

Colleen Burback, owner of clothing boutique The Urban Barn, said she moved her store from Inverness Corners to Lee Branch when Winn-Dixie signed its lease. She said she did so because Bayer presented her with a non-negotiable rent increase of more than 300 percent. 

Burback said she was also concerned about a reduction in traffic through the center due to the Alabama Department of Transportation’s Intersection Improvement Plan on U.S. 280. She said she believes the installation of a “Michigan Left” at Valleydale Road will push drivers south to Walmart or Publix.

“People will get frustrated and keep going,” she said.

But Heide said he believes ALDOT’s changes will bring more cars into the center, especially on the east side where Mathnasium is located. 

Davison agreed.

“The way the lights are timed, it’s pretty easy to make that turn in,” Davison said of the southern entrance to Inverness Corners, which isn’t regulated by a traffic signal. “People may think they’re taking their lives in their hands, but I always see plenty of gaps.”

Heide also said data shows the number of vehicles that pass Inverness Corners is projected to continue to increase, and that visibility has always been an asset for the center.

“With traffic counts there — and I think the Valleydale intersection sees more than 100,000 cars a day — it just increases the probability drivers will pull in on more frequent basis,” Heide said. “Maybe somebody doesn’t even know On Tap is there, but they see it on a grocery run and come back to watch football games.”

New and returning customers will also see dramatic changes to the look of the center, as its owners have made a substantial investment in improvements to the exterior. Gone are forest green rooftops and blanket brick facades, replaced by bright stucco storefronts, elegant stonework and wood ceilings.

“Millions have been invested in that center to create what you’re seeing there today,” Heide said.

In addition, the center’s owners have repaved the parking lot and installed a new lighting system.

“It’s certainly a warm welcome for Winn-Dixie,” Davison said.