MANY OF THE LARGEST Birmingham area retail centers are feeling the pain as the industry's big-box era moves into retreat, a closely watched real estate survey shows.

The area's industrial sector -- think warehouses and distribution centers -- hasn't fared any better with an occupancy rate of 80.3 percent at year's end, according to the report released today by EGS Commercial Real Estate Inc.

The occupancy rate for retail was 88.1 percent at year's end, up slightly from 87.5 percent in 2008. But that doesn't tell the story. The year-ago numbers included functionally obsolete space that has since been taken off the market, while vacancies in 2009 came mostly from store closings. In Wildwood North, a vacant Goody's stands next to a vacant Bruno's, which stands next to a vacant S&K men's store. Closings have driving up area retail vacancies, a EGS report says.

Emris Graham, head of EGS' retail division, cites Homewood's Wildwood North center, where an empty Bruno's sits beside an empty Goody's and an empty S&K men's store.

"Big retailer and box tenant expansion programs have slowed down dramatically or stopped altogether," Graham said.

The EGS survey underscores how retail space in the area is stinging from the large number of anchor, or so-called "big box," vacancies at high-profile centers. The small "neighborhood" centers, typically featuring a supermarket and small retailers, actually saw occupancy rise in 2009.

Read the full story on The Birmingham New' s website.