Welcome to Setting Up Shop, a series in which we take you around the world to the most dynamic and emerging luxury shopping hubs, introduce you to the customers, and get an understanding of what makes the local market tick.
Atlanta has long been known for its music scene. Over the past decade, it’s emerged as a film and production hub, earning its nickname as the ‘Hollywood of the South’, thanks to Georgia’s film tax credit programme, which was implemented in 2008. The city is continuing to build out its cultural pull, now in the world of sport. In 2026, Atlanta will host eight Fifa World Cup games at its Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which will then host the Super Bowl in 2028.
In response, brands are gearing up for more spending in Georgia’s state capital.
With changing industries and incoming residents comes a shift in style. “For so long, the primary thing that a lot of Atlanta wanted was streetwear, or different takes on streetwear,” says Kaegan Gregory, creative content manager and assistant buyer at local luxury boutique Ant/dote. “Now, there is this desire for maturity and a different offering.”
In Atlanta, malls and retail centres are the heart of where many locals hang out. “We’re going up to Lenox; Buckhead afterwards,” Gregory rattles off, referencing indoor mall Lenox Square (which is opposite the other main mall, Phipps Plaza) and outdoor mall Buckhead Village. “It’s such a cultural thing. It’s not a walking city at all,” he says.
Atlanta is one of the most powerful markets for Simon Property Group, which owns both Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza. “It’s a very, very important market,” says Velda Turan, SVP of luxury leasing at Simon Property Group. “Atlanta is powerful for us because of the density of the market, and it’s a vibrant demographic that really appreciates fashion, food, experience — and that’s the perfect recipe when you own shopping centres.”
Atlanta is home to many Fortune 500 companies — including Home Depot, UPS and Coca-Cola — meaning many high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), adds Turan. “Since 2020, the market has exploded from a luxury demand perspective,” she says, adding that there are both extreme wealth and extreme aspirational customers in the city.
With its amped-up film industry (and still-strong music industry), there are also many high-profile individuals, experts say. “You see more celebrities than ever, especially in the mall, just casually chilling,” says Nick Soyemi, assistant store manager at The Webster, who recently moved back to Atlanta after living in New Orleans. (The Webster is located inside Lenox Square mall.)
But Atlanta is also the city with the highest income inequality in America, according to a 2024 study — and white household wealth is 46 times that of Black household wealth, per a 2024 report. The top 20 per cent average income in the city is $384,230; and the top 5 per cent average income is $763,851. The bottom 20 per cent average income is $11,221. This helps explain why so much of the city’s luxury is concentrated around Buckhead, one of Atlanta’s wealthiest areas — and why the city’s sprawl can make it hard for brands to know where to go.