Say our name, say our name!
For over a decade now, we have been Shop Local Kentucky. A name that was chosen for the social media shopping app we developed prior to stumbling into becoming an apparel brand! That's right, way back in 2013, we launched an app geared toward bringing more Kentucky Mom and Pop shops online selling, and give an easy way for locals to find 'em! The problem is, it didn't work, but the Instagram and Facebook accounts behind it grew! So, we launched a charitable shirt drive on those channels and sold out of our SLK logo shirts nearly immediately online. That led us to touring the bluegrass state selling our wares at festivals and fairs, launching TheKyShop.com, and growing into Kentucky's go to lifestyle apparel brand. As they say, the rest is history... Except, it is kinda not.
Ten years later, we are still named after the app that launched us and most folks still don't get the association calling us 'Shop Local', 'Local Kentucky', and most often 'The Kentucky Shop'. It makes sense. We have a Kentucky based shop, celebrating Kentucky state pride, and our URL has always been TheKYShop.com, so after all of these years, we feel like we should become who we have always been!
The Kentucky Shop
Having ten years of name recognition through Shop Local Kentucky is a hard thing to leave behind, but as we enter the next decade of our apparel brand, we want to lean into the moniker that we feel we have always been. So, you will start to see changes rolling out from the website, to the back tags, and social media handles, etc. Nothing else is changing and don't be alarmed that it is some strangers! It is still Joni and I running things, PeeWee the Courier Pony is still out delivering packages, and we will still have Kentucky Strong, having raised over $1.4 million for charity since 2017!
So, there may be a little dust around here, but moving forward we are proud to be The Kentucky Shop. We believe life is better in Kentucky, and we want to create the wares that celebrate that! Stay tuned. Good things are coming y'all!