Page 51 - YourSource November 2016

WOMEN IN BUSINESS
NAMPAAPPLIANCE’SJACKIEKING,THE
NEW BREED OF WOMAN IN RETAIL
Below: Aerial view of his first ‘big’ store on
Mason Avenue, Daytona Beach.
In the ever-changing world of the retail appliance busi- ness, it is safe to say that nothing stays the same. The days when the owners of independent retail businesses were overwhelmingly male now seem as antiquated as a black and white television. Jackie King, owner and president of Nampa Appliance TV and Mattress in Nampa, Idaho, is repre- sentative of the new breed of women in the industry.
Ambitious and driven, Jackie has succeeded in accomplish- ing her lifelong goal of owning her own appliance business. However, she has not stopped there. She is also a board mem- ber of AVB/BrandSource, which she was elected to in 2000. Jackie’s story reinforces the fact that gender is no longer rel- evant in the competitive retail industry and that the future is ripe for female entrepreneurs.
Jackie got her first taste of the retail appliance business when she worked as a product sales trainer for Wells Distrib- uting in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her stint at Wells instilled in her a love for the business, which continues to this day. When Jackie’s father, Darry Endicott, opened his own retail appliance store in September of 1983, she joined him in his new ven- ture. Over thirty years later, she reflects on her store’s success by stressing the merits of customer service. “We differentiate ourselves by offering unmatched service and great value and fortunately our market has embraced that,” she says.
Jackie’s ambition and commitment to her customers’ needs have not gone unnoticed. Nampa Appliance earned the presti- gious BrandSource Retailer of the Year award in 2006. Besides her election to the AVB/BrandSource board, she has also been its Rocky Mountain Chapter President for the last 16 years.
As a woman in the formerly male dominated retail appli- ance business, Jackie scoffs at the implication that her gender has been a liability. “I’ve never felt being a woman in this in-
dustry has been a struggle. Quite the opposite,” she says. “I’ve found it to be an asset. I think this is the perfect time to be a businesswoman in our country. The old stereotypes don’t ap- ply anymore so if you can dream it, you can do it.”
For the future generations of women who hope to one day start their own retail business, Jackie is only too happy to give them advice. “The best advice I can give other women consid- ering a career in the industry is to be the most knowledge- able and prepared person in the room. Follow your instincts, set reachable goals, do your homework, and if you believe in yourself there is no reason you won’t achieve great success in your chosen path.” It is a path that Jackie took enthusiasti- cally from the beginning and also one that she recommends to those that share her grit and determination. Her zeal for her chosen career path can be best summed up in her hashtag. #SoBlessedToHaveThisAsMyCareer YS
Jackie King, owner and president of Nampa Appliance TV and Mattress, Nampa, Idaho
NOVEMBER 2016
YOURSOURCE 51