Merle Norman marks 95 years in Jasper, plans square celebration

Dana Berger’s Merle Norman studio at 607 Main Street reached 95 years in Jasper on June 8, a milestone that says as much about downtown staying power as it does about beauty products. The shop will be recognized again Friday, June 12, with a public celebration on the Square that includes giveaways, goodie bags and other festivities, turning the anniversary into a reason for shoppers to come downtown.

The Jasper store sits inside a brand with deep national roots. Merle Norman Cosmetics opened its first studio in Santa Monica, California, in 1931, and by 1934 the company already had 94 franchises across the country, according to its official history. That early growth helped define a business model built around local studios, personal service and recognizable branding, which is still visible in Jasper nearly a century later.

Locally, Berger has been the face of that model. A Heart of Jasper profile in 2024 identified her as the owner of the Jasper studio, and she has described the business as made in the USA and centered on one-on-one service. That combination of national brand recognition and individual ownership has given the Main Street shop a place in Jasper’s retail mix that big chains and online shopping have not easily displaced.

The June 12 celebration will run all day on the Square, according to Heart of Jasper, with live local music scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The timing also lines up with Music on Main on the City of Jasper calendar, a detail that could help boost foot traffic in the downtown core. For a store that has already outlasted decades of retail change, the event is both a birthday and a reminder of what still draws people to the center of Jasper: familiar names, personal service and a storefront that remains part of the city’s everyday business life.