Smith's Variety
Smith's Variety is a retailer located at 45 Church Street in Crestline Village. The store specializes in giftware, stationery and toys, but also stocks household goods, home decor, party supplies and feature a candy counter.
The store first opened in 1950 and for decades was an anchor of the Mountain Brook Shopping Center at 2715 Culver Road. Litton Glazner purchased the store in 1976, and operated it with his wife, Mary Anne. When he suffered an illness in early 1999, his son, Jim Glazner became the sole owner, with his mother and wife, Tammy, helping operate the business.
From 2005 to 2010 Smith's Variety had a second location at 2824 18th Street South in downtown Homewood.
The Glazners put the business up for sale shortly after Mary Anne Glazner's death, but reconsidered after witnessing the store's importance to the community as lines wrapped around the block for "eclipse glasses" in advance of the 2017 solar eclipse.
References
- Gates, Porter (December 1, 2011) "Smith's Variety: Business Spotlight." Village Living
- Rodriguez, Ana (March 9, 2015) "Smith's Variety to leave 65-year-old space, become neighbors with Crestline Piggly Wiggly." The Birmingham News
- Cromwell, Sydney (April 26, 2017) "‘We’re all better for having met her’" Village Living
- Van der Bijl, Hanno (September 13, 2017) "Mountain Brook retailer no longer for sale after eclipse surge." Birmingham Business Journal