The Scrub Shoppe celebrated 12 years in business this week. The store specializes in the latest scrub fashion and features other gifts and apparel such as Simply Southern T-shirts and bags.
Kandi Stephens created the store in 2009 out of an 800-square-foot facility on Yale Place. Rapid growth forced the store to move to its current location, a 3,100-square-foot space in the Towne Square North shopping center off Frederica Street. They have plans to expand to more than 5,000-square-feet location soon.
“I already had retail experience and decided it was time to venture out on my own,” Stephens said. “This is a niche store, and I have a passion for it. My father was self-employed his whole life. He taught me many tips and instilled a drive in me.”
Stephens said she owes her strong sense of self-motivation to her father but has relied on several family members for help over the years.
“My brother Mike was also instrumental in helping me from the beginning — he too is a small business owner in Owensboro,” she said. “He estimated every cost I would incur from the beginning and told me how much sales I would need a day to survive.”
Stephens took those estimations literally, often breaking down in tears when sales were below that set amount and jumping for joy when they exceeded it. She relied on her husband for financial support at times and leans on her son Joshua to “keep her straight.”
Joshua’s role in the business has steadily grown over the years as he now operates a second location in Nashville.
“In 2019, we opened the largest scrub store in middle Tennessee. Our Nashville store has quickly grown into becoming the most popular destination for uniforms,” Joshua said. “We were also named ‘Platinum Retailers’ by Barco Uniforms, the oldest uniform manufacturer in the world. This award is the highest distinction ever awarded by Barco and was given to less than 20 stores.”
The Scrub Shoppe has also expanded to offer boutique children’s clothing and purchased a 22-foot trailer to operate a mobile division that offers on-site sales all over the southeastern part of the county. They recently became the first independently owned scrub store to offer customized uniform eCommerce sites and partnered with Vanderbilt University to handle all scrubs and lab coats for medical/nursing students.
Joshua said the store has also been the preferred uniform provider for Owensboro Health Regional Hospital for over a decade, servicing central and satellite campuses. They strive to be community partners both locally and nationally.
“We’ve sent thousands of uniforms to areas affected by natural disasters, like the city of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina,” Joshua said. “I think the coolest part about how my mother has operated The Scrub Shoppe over the years is the good she’s created from it; she’s given people a chance to prove themselves as an employee and assisted struggling college students get what they need for the classroom.”
Kandi began as the only employee, eventually raising enough funds to bring someone on to help her. The Owensboro location now employs seven people.
“As a proudly family owned, small business, we cannot thank the local communities of Owensboro and surrounding areas enough for their support,” Kandi said. “We’ve seen many businesses in our shopping centers come and go over the years, so we are continually reminded not to take what we have for granted.
“After 12 years in the business, we are hungrier than we were on day one to provide the best selection and service to our customers. We thank you for the support over the past 12 years and look forward to what unfolds over the next 12 years.”
By John Kirkpatrick The Owensboro Times