Move to mall area puts Southern in better light to draw retail crowd

Southern Lighting and Cabinets has increased its showroom space and boosted its retail business with a relocation to an East Brainerd complex in the heart of the region's largest retail cluster.

The store had been in a center near Shallowford Road and Highway 153, where owner Mark Benson said most retail traffic came specifically looking for his store.

He recently moved in to the Target shopping center on Gunbarrel Road where greater visibility boosted his retail sales. It also was only a short distance from Hamilton Place, the area's largest mall.

"The economic recession really opened my eyes," Mr. Benson said. "It opened my eyes to how important retail traffic is."

In the past, sales to builders dominated Southern Lighting and Cabinets business, but since moving into the new space, Mr. Benson said retail sales, or sales to individuals, make up about 55 percent of his business while sales to builders makes up about 45 percent.

The move into the 10,000 square-foot space sits nestled between Earth Fare and Target came as the construction trades suffering in the recession, but the new space and increased visibility has helped combat the constractor slowdown.

He said this was the first year he experienced a Black Friday rush of business the day after Thanksgiving.

"We've had some really tremendous days," he said.

Despite having to sell 80 percent of the inventory before the move, Apryl Bennett, a lighting specialist at the store, said the recent move has been worth the trouble.

"The visibility and walk-in traffic we have had already make it better," she said. "Before, we were hidden in a hole."

Mr. Benson has restocked his inventory and is also selling cabinets.

"I was looking for a way to diversify without having to tie up so much capital and space," he said.

There are a few styles on display in the showroom, but multiple styles can be ordered and custom fitted for any home or building project, he said.

The new digs give Mr. Benson added confidence and security in a volatile economic climate.

"With what's going on in the economy, we just feel we are in the right place," Mr. Benson said.