Boaz has built its economy and its reputation around factory outlet shopping, with a large concentration of stores along US Highway 431 that draw bargain hunters from across the Southeast. The outlets include both name-brand manufacturers and discount clothing and homeware stores, with prices that justify the trip from Birmingham (about 60 miles south) or Chattanooga.
The main outlet complex sits along the highway through town, with additional stores in the surrounding strip centres. The town's self-designation as the "Outlet Capital of Alabama" is not unearned — the selection is substantial by small-town standards, and the combination of low prices and the rural setting has made it a regional destination for weekend shopping trips.