By Sam Prickett
The Alabama Retail Association will honor 20 Alabama businesses –including several Over the Mountain businesses – during its 2017 Alabama Retail Day luncheon on Oct. 17.
These retailers were selected by a panel of judges “representing the media, chambers of commerce, retail developers, former Retailers of the Year and the academic community,” according to a press release.
Honorees include Annie Damsky of Villager Yoga in Mountain Brook; Komeg Davis of CakEffect in Homewood; Ken Hubbard of the Western Market in Birmingham, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills; Katie Smith of Please Reply LLC in Mountain Brook; and David and Andrea Snyder of Urban Cookhouse in Homewood and Mountain Brook. Two Birmingham-based businesses, Big Spoon Creamery and Cahaba Brewing Company, are also among the honorees.
Additionally, the Mountain Brook-based catering company Ousler Sandwiches will be honored as one of six “Centennial Retailers,” an award for businesses over 100 years old. Ousler Sandwiches was founded in 1915. The Birmingham-based bookseller Books-A-Million, which was founded in 1917, also will receive that award.
Smith said she was “extremely honored and humbled” for Please Reply to receive the award.
“I would like to thank the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, my family, everyone that works at Please Reply and my mom for having the vision for the business,” she said in an interview.
The Alabama Retail Day luncheon will be held Oct. 17 at the Vestavia Country Club. It is a collaboration of the association and UAB’s Collat School of Business.
Bayer Properties president and CEO Jeffrey A. Bayer will be the keynote speaker.
Tickets are $50. To register or for more information, visit alabamaretail.org/retaildayregistration. ❖