Lulie's on Cahaba

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Premium content from Birmingham Business Journal – by Lauren B. Cooper

Date: Sunday, September 13, 2009, 11:00pm CDT – Last Modified: Thursday, September 10, 2009, 5:41pm CDT Mountain Brook city officials say sales tax revenue is 7 percent below projections

Lauren Stewart isn’t discouraged by the number of empty storefronts that surround her new boutique in Mountain Brook Village, Lulie’s on Cahaba.

Just six weeks in, Stewart said customers are slowly responding to the minimal price point she offers among a community known for its high-end local retailers.

However, lately, a good number of those high-end retailers in Mountain Brook Village have called it quits for various reasons or moved to other communities, leaving empty space that isn’t filling up at the pace it did two years ago.

Mountain Brook Village is at a critical juncture, say real estate experts, retailers and city officials, as regional efforts are underway to encourage shopping in the city and a $200 million proposed mixed-use development lays on the table.

Over the past year or more, some of the stores that have closed for various reasons or left the village for other areas include Browdy’s, Jonathan Benton Bookseller, Eve’s Leaves, Jane Simon, Susan G. Matthews, Henry Maus Antiques, White Flowers, Iron Art, J. McLaughlin and The King’s House Antiques.

And other retailers have moved in to set up shop, including Avo/Dram, Lovely Nails, Lulie’s on Cahaba, Another Broken Egg Café, which is slated to open this fall, and Village Dermatology.

But there’s still a good bit of prominent space left empty in the village.

The Story Behind Lulie’s On Cahaba

Wednesday, Aug 05,2009 

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Walking into Lulie’s on Cahaba is like walking into a chic, artsy Soho boutique. The antique ceiling tiles, the chandeliers, and of course the great dresses offer stylistas a shopping haven with affordable prices right in their own backyard.

What’s the story behind the name Lulie’s?
My real name is Lauren, but Lulie has been a family nickname since I was a child.

How did you decide on the location for Lulie’s?
My mom had grown up in Mountain Brook and upon marrying my father moved to Louisiana where my sister and I were raised. While I was attending Auburn University for college my parents wanted to return to Birmingham and Mountain Brook Village just seemed like the perfect location to open a store.

Who is the typical Lulie’s customer? (age, lifestyle etc.)
The apparel we carry appeals to a variety of women, despite their age or taste in clothes. We offer a wide range of clothing and our main goal is to offer a good variety and assortment to those in the Birmingham area. I would like not to focus on one type of customer but cater to a wide spectrum of ages and lifestyles. I want mother-daughter pairs to be able to come in together and both are able to shop.

What lines and/or designers does Lulie’s offer?
We like to boast on our own private line that you’ll see throughout the store. Along with that, currently, we carry Mac & Jac, Kensie, Lauren Vidal, Frank Lyman, Freedom of Choice denim. We also have two great jewelry lines from Coralia Leets and Betty Carre.

Explain how the store suits your personality.
We have completely redone the interior of the space, and it’s a bit old-world meets shabby chic. We want our customers to be comfortable while shopping, which is what I look for when shopping.
The store suits my personality because I appreciate the classics but am not afraid to try something new or update them.

What are some of the looks for Fall that we can see in Lulie’s?
We have some great styles coming in. We have a lot of cardi-warps coming in which have been very popular in recent seasons. Also, we have a lot of fall earth-tones and great-tone dresses for the holidays.

Are you planning on doing any sort of grand opening or events to celebrate the new store in Birmingham?
We are planning on it but we haven’t set a tentative date, so be on the look out for an announcement for the event.