The Alabama Retail Association has selected Orange Beach as a 2018 host city for its third annual Shop Alabama for the Holidays tour! Just in time for the busiest shopping weeks of the year, Alabama Retail will kick off the statewide shopping initiative and announce its new holiday hashtag campaign, #DoubleYourGift, during the city’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 5:30 pm at The Wharf.
“We are proud to partner with the City of Orange Beach, Alabama Small Business Development Center, Coastal Alabama Business Chamber and The Wharf for this exciting event. Our Shop Alabama message encourages residents to create a powerful ripple effect in their community by keeping their shopping, dining and leisure dollars local. We look forward to rallying around the local business community during the holiday season,” said Melissa Warnke, Communications Manager for the Alabama Retail Association.
In addition to the kick-off announcement, the tree lighting ceremony will include musical performances, letters to Santa, cookie decorating, hot chocolate, reading of The Christmas Story by the Mayor of Orange Beach and more. Santa will arrive on a firetruck and photos will be available in Marlin Circle. The Holiday SPECTRA Sound & Light Spectacular will conclude the event.
The Alabama Retail Association predicts 2018 will be the strongest holiday shopping season on record for the state, with more than $12 billion dollars expected to be spent in the months of November and December. The numbers represent a 4.5 percent increase in holiday spending this year than last.
Other stops on the Shop Alabama for the Holidays tour include Clanton, Cullman, Huntsville, Montgomery and Opelika. Retail, including food and drink establishments, supports one in four jobs in Alabama and brings in $19 billion, or 9.5 percent of Alabama’s gross domestic product, placing retail in the state’s top five highest-producing industries outside of government. When you #ShopAlabama you STRENGTHEN your local economy, SUPPORT your community and INVEST in the vibrancy of your city!