Health Of Buckhead: Atlanta’s Retail Mecca Called Into Question

Unless you’re waiting in line for a ShackBurger and hand-spun shake, it’s not likely you’ll encounter a crush of people at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta these days. In fact, some proprietors are likening their high-end retail mecca to a finely landscaped ghost town. But others—both retailers and outside observers—don’t see a cause for alarm. That’s according to a recent deep-dive on the shopping district’s health by Bisnow titled, “Is Luxury Losing Its Luster At The Shops Buckhead Atlanta?” It published on the heels of upscale Corso Coffee’s closure this month, which marked the latest business to bow out since shops started opening about three years ago. The owner of women’s apparel boutique Hottie + Lord, Tutu Longe, had this interesting observation regarding Shops Buckhead Atlanta foot traffic: “People don’t come here … It’s not the store’s fault. It’s not [developer] OliverMcMillan’s fault. Atlanta’s a tricky city.” Retail casualties in the last couple of years have included Denim & Soul, Urban Wellness Spa, Thirteen Pies, American Food & Beverage, and now the coffee shop. But as OliverMcMillan reps have pointed out before, some of those closures didn’t necessarily reflect on the Buckhead district, as they were part of broader corporate decisions to scale back. Read more at Curbed Atlanta.