Summer can be a struggle for some Tuscaloosa businesses, which rely on student sales to stay steady during the year. For others, it’s a boon.
According to the UA Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, the University enrolled just over 40,000 students during the previous academic year. That number drops significantly during the summer with 11,902 students enrolled in the summer 2024 semester. Students who remain in town help, but most businesses look elsewhere for sales.
Houston Lunceford, an esthetician and makeup artist at Downtown and Mane hair salon, said she relies mainly on students as her clientele. During the academic year, said she sees 15 to 25 clients a week, but only sees 8 to 10 in the summer.
“I enjoy the slower pace of the summer for a while, but I’m ready to get back into a fast-paced environment in August,” she said. To make up for the loss in student clients, Lunceford offers summer specials to reach more local clients.
Looking back on her summer, Lunceford said the return of students at the start of the semester quickly filled her schedule again.
“I was super busy once students came back to town. My clients who were students usually referred their friends, so I got busier each year,” Lunceford said. “The summer was basically my breather to get everything in order for the school year. It gave me the chance to refresh my services and social media and look back on the previous year to see what I could do better.”
Restaurants near campus face similar challenges. Nick Chichester, co-owner and manager of Glory Bound Gyro Co. on the Strip, said most sales revolve around the University, with only about 30% of business coming from locals.
“Every summer has its challenges,” he said. “This one hasn’t been the worst one, but it’s slow for sure.”
To keep sales steady, Chichester said the restaurant runs specials to boost catering and lunch traffic.
He also said sales picked back up once students returned.
“As expected, sales increased immediately the weekend of Aug. 17,” he said. “At the beginning of August we start preparing with product and menu changes to roll out for the semester. It’s something we work on throughout the summer to make the transition easier for the staff and new hires. We use the slower times to maximize the busier.”
Not all venues see a slowdown in summer. Michael Gee, owner of Pants Store Tuscaloosa, said August and September are the busiest months of the entire year because of a combination of back-to-school shopping and game day sales. He said orientations also provide a significant boost throughout summer.
“Kids and parents from all over the country come to shop,” he said. “The only time of the year we reduce inventory is during January and February, in the summer, we need more staff than usual for orientation.”
The Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater also receives most of its business during the warmer months.
Matt Jones, operations manager for the amphitheater, said many artists launch their tours in summer, often at outdoor venues. The concert season runs from March to November, and longer summer days give the amphitheater flexibility to host a wider variety of events.
“We specifically scheduled certain artists, like Pitbull, for August, knowing he would be popular among students,” Jones said. “We also like to plan ahead for our event staff, which consists of only 10% students.”
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