FAIRHOPE – Lisette Normann, owner of The Fairhope Store, always wanted to sell things she loves. Born into a family of retailers, she’d sell candies and snacks for fun as a child. Now, as an adult, she’s achieved her childhood dream of selling what she loves – items bearing her artwork, which features her hometown. Today, Normann took home top honors in the state as the Gold Alabama Retailer of the Year in the Annual Sales Less Than $1 Million category.

From humble beginnings in 2012 with one simple design, Normann’s successful lifestyle brand and six signature lines of ‘Fairhope’ T-shirts and merchandise have been unofficially adopted as the community’s brand. She’s also more than doubled her store’s size and been sought out to design brands for other cities throughout the country, including Orange Beach in Alabama and Coconut Grove in California.

“When you’re doing what you love, it comes out in your designs, your product and the way you operate your business,” said Normann as she accepted her award during the Alabama Retail Day awards luncheon. The Fairhope Store was one of 13 retail businesses honored today as Retailers of the Year. This year’s winners came from a pool of almost 100 nominees.

The Fairhope Store is passionate in its commitment to local, as noted by the 2018 Retailer of the Year Judges. “Lisette and her team are not just celebrating their city through logos, but in a desire to step up to fill the needs of the community whenever possible,” said one judge.

Casey Williams, president and executive director of the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, who nominated Normann for the award, said, “The thing about Lisette is that she challenges you to be a better person in a selfless manner. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and she is a rallying point for our community.”

The Fairhope Store is known for its culture of welcome, whether a visitor wants to purchase or explore and hang out.

“We are all about spreading the love of Fairhope to people all over the world,” said Normann. “When people leave here, go back home and see a Fairhope shirt in their drawer, they think, ‘Oh, I can’t wait to go back.’ The importance of what our brand means for this city, that is not lost on us.”

The Alabama Retail Association presented Normann with the award at its Retail Day luncheon in Birmingham. Carr, Riggs & Ingram CPAs and Advisors, Slappey Communications and the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business were the luncheon sponsors.

“Lisette Normann is a retailer of the year EVERY year to The Fairhope Store customers, her 12 employees and the Fairhope community,” said Alabama Retail Association President Rick Brown.

 

Full list of this year’s Retailers of the Year
Previous Retailers of the Year

The Alabama Retail Association represents retailers, the largest private employer in the state of Alabama, before the Alabama Legislature and the U.S. Congress. Through sales of food, clothing, furniture, medicine and more, our 4,200 independent merchant and national company members touch almost every aspect of daily living. Since 1943, we’ve worked to promote what’s best for the retail industry in Alabama. Whether voicing the retail view when public policy is made, educating members about issues that impact them, negotiating rates for benefits and services or communicating the retail story, the Alabama Retail Association and its members are better together.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Lisette Normann, The Fairhope Store | 251.928.0108
Melissa Warnke, Alabama Retail Association | 256.338.0621 | 800.239.5423
Nancy Dennis, Alabama Retail Association | 334.551.0643 | 800.239.5423