Tuscaloosa businesses see drop in sales with students gone for the summer
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Updated: 10:47 PM CDT May 29, 2025
TODAY, AS COLLEGE CAMPUSES THIN OUT FOR THE SUMMER, THE TEMPORARY LOSS OF STUDENTS IMPACTING BUSINESSES IN TUSCALOOSA, 米兰体育 13 ZOE BLAIR SPOKE WITH BUSINESS OWNERS TODAY ABOUT HOW EMPTYING CAMPUSES IMPACT THEIR SALES. I鈥橫 HERE ON THE QUAD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AND IT鈥橲 QUIETER THAN NORMAL. USUALLY YOU鈥橠 SEE HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS OUT HERE STUDYING, PLAYING FOOTBALL AND WALKING TO CLASS, BUT MANY STUDENTS ARE OUT OF TOWN FOR THE SUMMER, SO IT鈥橲 EMPTIER THAN NORMAL AND SO ARE SEVERAL LOCAL BUSINESSES. ONCE EVERYONE GRADUATED, IT JUST, YOU KNOW, DROPPED OFF SIGNIFICANTLY. WE JUST SEE A DECREASE IN ALL SALES ACROSS THE BOARD AND ACROSS ALL BUSINESSES. THEY ALL TAKE A BIG HIT. GATLIN CHICHESTER鈥橲 FAMILY OWNS GLORY BELL NOUVEAU COMPANY. HE SAYS EMPTY SEATS ARE NORMAL THIS TIME OF YEAR. EVERY YEAR, EVEN CHRISTMAS BREAKS. AND LIKE SPRING BREAK, YOU KNOW, THEY ALL GO HOME. SO THE JUST IN DECREASE IN SALES HAPPENS MOSTLY EVERY TIME THAT KIDS GET AWAY. GLORY BOUND ISN鈥橳 THE ONLY BUSINESS FEELING THE IMPACT OF STUDENTS LEAVING. I SPOKE WITH SEVERAL OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS WHO DID NOT WANT TO GO ON CAMERA. MANY TELL ME THEY HAVE TO STAFF LESS AND ADJUST THEIR HOURS FOR THE SMALLER CROWDS. ONE BUSINESS WENT FROM 18 EMPLOYEES TO ONLY FIVE THIS SUMMER, CHICHESTER SAYS LUCKILY THEY HAVEN鈥橳 RUN INTO THAT ISSUE. WE HAVE A BUNCH OF COLLEGE STUDENTS THAT WORK HERE AND MOST OF THEM ARE FROM OUT OF TOWN, SO THEY USUALLY ALL GO HOME. SO BY THE TIME THEY LEAVE, THEN WE JUST HAVE THE PERFECT AMOUNT OF STAFF. WITH THE STUDENTS GONE, CHICHESTER SAYS THEY鈥橰E RELYING ON THE FOLKS WHO ARE STILL IN TOWN, AND HE鈥橲 ASKING YOU TO EAT LOCAL THIS SUMMER. PLEASE COME DOWN. WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU ALL. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PLENTY OF SPACE NOW. AND WE HAVE WE HAVE PARKING, YOU KNOW, WHEREVER SO WE CAN GET YOU IN, GET YOU QUICK. HOPE YOU ENJOY IT. YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU ALL OUT. GLORY BOUND ISN鈥橳 THE ONLY ONE. MANY OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS I SPOKE WITH ECHOED THAT STATEMENT, ASKING YOU TO SHOP AND EAT LOCAL THIS SUMMER WHILE STUDENTS ARE AWAY. IN TUSCALOOSA, ZOE BLAIR, 米兰体育 13. LUCKILY FOR THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS, SOME STUDENTS S
Tuscaloosa businesses see drop in sales with students gone for the summer
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Updated: 10:47 PM CDT May 29, 2025
With many University of Alabama students out of town for the summer, local business owners say they've seen a drop in sales.Gatlin Chichester's family owns Glorybound Gyro Co. on the Strip. He said the drop in sales happens every year when students leave.>> 米兰体育 13 ON-THE-GO: Download our app for free"Once everyone graduated, it just dropped off significantly," he said. "Every year, even like Christmas breaks and spring breaks, they all go home, so the decrease in sales happens mostly every time that kids get away. We just see a decrease in all sales across the board and across all businesses, they all take a big hit."Some business owners say they've had to cut back on staffing, but Chichester said they haven't run into that problem yet."We have a bunch of college students that work here, and most of them are from out of town, and they usually all go home," he said. "By the time they leave, we have the perfect amount of staff.">> YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD: Community coverage from 米兰体育 13With the drop in sales, he's hoping more Tuscaloosa natives will choose to spend their money locally this summer.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — With many University of Alabama students out of town for the summer, local business owners say they've seen a drop in sales.
Gatlin Chichester's family owns Glorybound Gyro Co. on the Strip. He said the drop in sales happens every year when students leave.
>> 米兰体育 13 ON-THE-GO: Download our app for free
"Once everyone graduated, it just dropped off significantly," he said. "Every year, even like Christmas breaks and spring breaks, they all go home, so the decrease in sales happens mostly every time that kids get away. We just see a decrease in all sales across the board and across all businesses, they all take a big hit."
Some business owners say they've had to cut back on staffing, but Chichester said they haven't run into that problem yet.
"We have a bunch of college students that work here, and most of them are from out of town, and they usually all go home," he said. "By the time they leave, we have the perfect amount of staff."
>> YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD: Community coverage from 米兰体育 13
With the drop in sales, he's hoping more Tuscaloosa natives will choose to spend their money locally this summer.
