Original article by Ed Howell
Nov. 4 and Nov. 7, 2026
Retail Strategies co-founder and CEO Robert Jolly was the featured speaker at the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County’s annual breakfast on Friday, October 30, at the Jasper Civic Center in Jasper, Alabama. Robert shared the story of a partnership that dates back to January 2013, along with an update on what’s next for retail in Jasper and the broader industry trends shaping communities nationwide.
Walker County was one of the very first communities to engage Retail Strategies in retail recruitment, and Robert credited the chamber and its president, Linda Lewis, with helping shape the recruitment playbook the company now uses in more than 1,000 cities across 40 states. “We literally built the company around this engagement,” Robert said.
25 brands and counting
Over 14 years, Retail Strategies has helped bring 25 brands to the Jasper market, including Aldi, Cracker Barrel, Hobby Lobby, T.J. Maxx, Rural King, Whataburger and Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe. Together, those businesses generate roughly $100 million in annual sales, about $5.5 million in combined city and county sales tax, and around 600 jobs.
Robert pointed to several projects that moved the needle. The redevelopment of the shopping center now home to Hobby Lobby, T.J. Maxx, Petco and Shoe Carnival marked the City of Jasper’s first public-private retail partnership and kicked off what he described as a domino effect. Other wins included pairing Aldi and Harbor Freight on a single site, landing Dunham’s in the former JCPenney space at Jasper Mall, and bringing Rural King into the old Kmart building in 2025.
25
brands brought to the Jasper market over 14 years
$100M
in annual sales, roughly
$5.5M
in combined city and county sales tax
600
jobs, approximately
Some of the brands Retail Strategies has helped bring to Jasper
A market that outperforms its population
During the Q&A, Robert explained that national retailers often judge a market by its population from a corporate office. Jasper and Walker County consistently outspend those numbers, and Retail Strategies works to prove that to brands by tracking sales performance and making the case for the wider regional trade area. Portfolio Director Garet Smitherman added that strong local performance and limited available space along the Highway 78 corridor are pushing growth outward along I-22.
Why incentives matter
Robert also addressed the national picture. Retail vacancy sits near historic lows, brick-and-mortar stores still capture the large majority of retail sales, and grocery-anchored projects are driving new development. With construction and land costs high, most ground-up projects now require some level of public-private partnership to work.
He walked through Alabama’s Amendment 772, which allows cities to share back a portion of the new sales tax a project creates. Because the incentive comes from revenue that would not exist without the project, the city still comes out ahead. On the debate over public incentives, Robert was direct: “I’m here to argue that it’s worth supporting.”
We are grateful for our long partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County and the City of Jasper, and we look forward to the next wave of growth in the community.
Robert’s remarks were covered by Daily Mountain Eagle Managing Editor Ed Howell in a two-part series. Part 1, published November 4, focused on Retail Strategies’ history with Walker County and Jasper’s strong retail spending, and Part 2, published November 7, covered the brands recruited to Jasper, national retail trends, and the case for public-private incentives.
About Retail Strategies
Retail Strategies is the national expert in community development and retail economic development. Our mission is to provide the real estate expertise, tools, and human effort that position deserving towns as alluring locations for national businesses and destinations for tourism and quality-of-life amenities. We confidently pursue this mission by delivering unparalleled customer service as a unified team with unmatched real estate and community development expertise. Our activities pay a return in sales taxes, added jobs, and businesses that enhance and add to the unique qualities of your community.
