Christmas shopping can be challenging, as anyone who drives around the mall area in December can tell you. It takes planning, cunning, creativity, and sometimes even courage to be successful. It’s not an activity for the faint of heart. Most seasoned pros will tell you that the key to success is to have a shopping strategy that maximizes your time and conserves your energy. But to make this strategy work, you will need to do as much of your shopping as possible in one place and at one time, and that means finding a store with a vast selection of quality items for everyone on your list. We, at Paducah Bank, know of just such a place – Rural King on Cairo Road in Paducah!
Rural King was founded in 1960 in Mattoon, Illinois to serve the needs of the citizens of that rural community. The company expanded over the years, and they now have 84 stores in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Florida and West Virginia. Paducah is one of the more recent additions to the Rural King family. The store on Cairo Road opened last year, and since then, customers have been flocking there and spending plenty of money too. In fact, the Paducah store was actually one of the top performing Rural King stores in the country in the month of November, according to Rural King Financial Analyst Blake Pierce. Paducah definitely loves Rural King!
“We had been looking at Paducah for a long time,” Blake tells us. “We knew there was a lot of potential in Paducah. The demographics of the area were a perfect fit for us – outdoor sports and activities enthusiasts, rural lifestyles, plenty of pet owners, farmers, etc. We just needed to find the right location. Unfortunately, there weren’t any buildings for sale that would suit our needs. So, we decided to build. That’s where Paducah Bank came in. They caught wind of our plans and reached out to us about financing the construction. We’re pleased that they did because they gave us a great deal. We’ve had an excellent experience with Paducah Bank and we value our partnership.”
Rural King’s partnership with the Paducah community has been valuable too. The Paducah store has had consistently strong sales since opening last year, with their strongest month of sales so far in November. “We attribute the success to the great team there and the store manager, Harold Kushnak,” Blake says. “We are very pleased with the Paducah store and expect the positive relationship with the community to continue for years to come.”
That relationship includes the 78 new jobs that the company created in Paducah when the store opened last year. Those employees are a big part of Rural King’s success in the rural goods market. According to Blake, “We only hire staff who are knowledgeable and passionate about the products we sell and the lifestyle we promote. Our staff are our customers, and that makes them experts at serving our customers’ needs. We pride ourselves in our low prices and in being the industry leader in product knowledge and customer service.”
So what can you check off your Christmas list at Rural King? How about power tools, grills and outdoor entertaining essentials , home décor, sports equipment, hiking and camping gear, hunting gear (including guns), pet supplies, a huge selection of work and cowboy boots, men’s and women’s clothing, farm equipment, gardening tools, and yes – even toys! There’s literally something for everyone on your list. And perhaps the most fun is the adventure of taking the whole family (including the family dog) into the store and browsing through the endless aisles of things you didn’t even know you needed. The kids will especially love the live chicks, ducks, and bunny rabbits!
So, come in out of the cold, have some complimentary popcorn and coffee to warm you up, and finish your Christmas shopping all in one place this year at Rural King!
If you are a customer of Paducah Bank and would like us to feature your business, let us know by emailing Susan Guess at [email protected]