FLORENCE – The Alabama Retail Association has selected Florence as a 2018 host city for its third annual Shop Alabama for the Holidays tour! During the busiest shopping weeks of the year, Alabama Retail will continue the statewide shopping initiative and announce its holiday hashtag campaign, #DoubleYourGift, during the city’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Friday, Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Wilson Park.

“We appreciate the Alabama Retail Association for conducting their Shop Alabama for the Holidays campaign, and we are especially excited that Florence is included this year as a partner. Our city looks forward to a strong Christmas shopping season, and we ask our community to continue shopping locally,” said Mayor Steve Holt.

Caitlin Holland, president of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce, added, “The Shoals Chamber is thrilled that the Alabama Retail Association has chosen The Shoals as a stop on its tour. We are blessed to live in a community full of strong, locally owned, small businesses, and it’s an honor to support them just as they support us.”

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.

“We are proud to partner with the City of Florence, Mayor Steve Holt and the Shoals Chamber 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.

WHAT:  Shop Alabama for the Holidays Kickoff

WHO:  Alabama Retail Association, City of Florence and Mayor Steve Holt, Shoals Chamber of Commerce

WHERE: Christmas Tree Lighting in Wilson Park

WHEN:  6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7

Other stops on the Shop Alabama for the Holidays tour include Clanton, Cullman, Dothan, Huntsville, Montgomery, Opelika, Orange Beach and Scottsboro. 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!

###

MEDIA CONTACT:
Melissa Warnke, Alabama Retail Association | 256.338.0621

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.