70 Years of Smith's: New owners continue the legendary store’s charming tradition

September marks 70 years since Smith’s Variety, which is located in Crestline Village, opened its doors.

This quirky store sells everything from toys, home decor, socks and more. Customers are drawn to the nostalgia, said Brad Simpson, who purchased the store earlier this year.

“You don’t see it anymore, a true variety store, where you can get toys, ribbon, greeting cards, party supplies, gifts for the home and everything in between,” he said. “It’s a true variety store, and people know when they come here they’re going to see something different.”

Brad and his wife, Amy, attended college at Samford University. Although Amy grew up in North Alabama, she visited the variety store whenever she got the chance, Brad said. Together, they loved the store and always kept an eye on it.

Then the couple moved to Florida and opened a retail boutique. They continued to think about Smith’s Variety, Brad said.

“We kind of modeled things after what they did, and we always had ideas like, ‘What would Smith’s do?’” he said. “Even when we’d come back to Birmingham to visit friends, my wife would come to Smith’s and get stuff for our kids or just shop around.”

In 2017, the couple sold that business and moved back to Birmingham. They heard through the grapevine that their favorite store, Smith’s Variety, was on the market.

“We were very excited — we love Smith’s so much,” Brad said.

He reached out to Jim Glazner, who was then the owner of Smith’s, but Brad couldn’t get in touch, so he dropped his business card off at the store. Soon after, Glazner decided not to sell the store after all. With the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, Glazner sold thousands of pairs of eclipse glasses, and Glazner got nostalgic after seeing all of his customers buying eclipse glasses, Brad said.

“It was disappointing for us, but we just said, ‘Hey, it wasn’t in God’s will at that point,’” Brad said. “It was something we prayed over and prayed over. If it’s supposed to happen, it’s in your time Lord, and not ours.”

The Simpsons went on with life. Brad got a job in the corporate office of Alabama Outdoors, and he enjoyed what he was doing, he said. He was in an executive team meeting late 2019 at Alabama Outdoors when he got a call from Glazer.

“He said, ‘I know we haven’t ever spoken, but we’ve kept your card over all these years,’” Brad said. “He asked if we’d be interested.”

Since buying the store in February, owning Smith’s Variety has been a whirlwind, Brad said. A few weeks after opening the store for the first time as its new owner, Brad had to close the store amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The great thing about Smith’s is that it’s been there for 70 years and has generational customers, Brad said. The support during the pandemic has been incredible, he said.

“We couldn’t have asked for more from the community,” he said. “They really went out of their way to shop with us when they didn’t have to. It was probably less convenient to shop with us and do curbside as opposed to ordering online somewhere else. But their loyalty is fantastic.”

The “grand plans” Brad had for the store got turned on its head because of the pandemic, he said. He had to temporarily lay off some of the employees, but he said many have been brought back as things have reopened.

It was a blessing in disguise nonetheless, Brad said. While the store was closed, the team was able to replace the counter top where the cashier stands, replace some fixtures, rearrange things, paint and more — things they wouldn’t have been able to do if shoppers were in the store.

“I tell everybody, ‘We’re going to have one heck of a story at the end of this,’” he said. “We couldn’t be happier.”

Many of the store’s employees have been there for a while, Brad said. Kat Sudduth started off at Smith’s as a basic toy employee 30 years ago. She was nervous about working at a mom-and-pop store after getting experience in a mall setting, she said.

“But I fell in love — it was a week in, and I was just in love with it,” she said. “It was different because I came from a way more structured environment. ... But when I came here, they were like, ‘Just make it look nice.’ Your creativity can come out, and that made it more fun to turn around and sell it.”

While Sudduth said worrying about big business while working at a mom-and-pop can still be scary, she said it’s worth it.

“Nothing can compare with taking customers and showing them a great item, and then walking them up to the front and wrapping it,” she said. “There’s a lot to be said for that. I know I really appreciate that, and people in this area do as well — that personal touch.”

Smith’s Variety has many special seasons, from selling spooky Halloween decorations to creating exciting Easter baskets. But Christmas is the most fun season of them all, Sudduth said.

“It’s such a total overhaul of the store,” she said. “It seems like every department is busier during Christmastime. ... The whole store is buzzing, and it’s just exciting.”

Sudduth said the new owners, Brad and Amy, would have been “hand-picked” by the original owners, Mary Ann and Lit Glazner.

“It couldn’t have gone to a better couple,” she said. “We all feel so blessed.”

Looking to the future, Brad said he wants to bring Smith’s back to the glory that it’s had.

“We want to really make a mark in the community as local shopping is back,” he said. “What I tell people is that if you know what you want, you’re going to go online and find it at the cheapest price. If you don’t know what you want, you’re going to come to a store like ours, and you’re going to get the best service.”

Brad contributes the store’s 70 years of success to its employees.

“Our team is incredible, and they know everyone who walks in the door because they’ve been here for so long,” he said. “They have a heart for the community and a heart to serve. ... Amy and I could not have done all of this ourselves.”

Smith’s Variety is located at 45 Church Street. Visit its Facebook page at facebook.com/smiths-variety for more information.