2025 Top 10 Retail Center Experiences: No. 10 The Summit
Carver Boynton-Pearson grew up in the Birmingham area and remembers seeing and marveling at The Summit when it opened 27 years ago.
“It’s built on the side of a mountain. A mall with outdoor access to tenants. One of the first lifestyle centers,” said Boynton-Pearson, who joined the center in 2017 and is now its senior general manager. “Back in the 90s it was one of the first of its kind.”
The Summit’s experiential prowess is not headlined by beer blasts, yoga classes, or classic car display events, though it does run a regular schedule of activations. Its overwhelming attribute is the breadth of its tenant roster. More than 60% of its tenants are exclusive to the region. In the past two years, The Summit welcomed 13 first-in-state openings that included Boss, Culinary Dropout, Alo Yoga and Gorjana.
Top brands that have recently remodeled or expanded their space at The Summit include Apple, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Kendra Scott and Lululemon.
Its AMC Summit 16 theater recently underwent a $5.1 million renovation that included upgraded seating, flooring and concessions.
Other notable tenants at the center include Anthropologie, Arhaus, Barnes & Noble, Carhartt, Evereve, Mizzen & Main, Nordstrom Rack, Orvis, Saks Fifth Avenue, Trader Joe’s, Urban Outfitters, Pottery Barn, Warby Parker and West Elm.
“Because of our proximity in the state, we draw a large regional crowd,” said Boynton-Pearson. “We attract a lot of high net-worth customers who are looking for something particular like furniture and luxury items. They come here for the best shopping experience in the state.”
The Summit is the highest-trafficked retail destination in Alabama, and its 8.8 million visitors in 2024 topped the No. 2 center by more than a million people.
