​Jackson’s First Blog Post Signals New Direction in Sharing Expertise, Inspiration

This is the first blog post for Jackson’s English & Western Store. More than just a blog, this is an important signal that begins a new direction for Jackson’s. One that aims to share valuable expertise, inspiration, and fun. One that started so long ago.

Family owned and operated, Jackson's English & Western Store in Wayland, MI has been serving the greater Grand Rapids Michigan area since 1969. Our history is one of slow but sustained growth despite several U.S. economic downturns. We grew from meager beginnings - selling cowboy boots and hats off a few shelves in a feed mill - to our 17,000 square foot store and national e-commerce site.

Today you can learn about Jackson’s efforts to carry U.S. made products, product guarantee, in-store services and more. “Along with our loyal customers, the things on our about page are many of the reasons for our success to date,” said Michael Freas Media/Marketing/Customer Relations manager. “Now we’ll be adding one more item to that list -- the desire to share our expertise in a blog.”

Celebrating our 50th Anniversary

Doing the math, you’ll see that we’re celebrating our 50th Anniversary this year! To commemorate this event and to thank you for your patronage, we’ve got lots of events planned for the remainder of the year. Events like a 25% off everything-in-the-store midnight madness sale, surprise giveaways, workshops, seminars, and an anniversary barbeque are among a few things in the works.

The original purpose of this blog was to spread our anniversary plans to all of you and to invite you in on the fun. Horse lovers, country-western music fans, rodeo enthusiasts, line-dancers, and down-to-earth cowboys and cowgirls . . . you know who you are!

Sharing Experience and Expertise

But then we thought, hey, we have a lot more to offer in this blog with 50 years of experience behind us:

• 50 years of listening to your stories and challenges - what worked, and what didn’t
• 50 years of carrying products and deciding the best items to keep and those to discontinue when they didn’t live up to our standards
• 50 years of fitting boots and listening to you - which boots are the warmest, hardest working, waterproof, best for horse shows or bull riding, or most comfortable for you
• 50 years of watching innovations in saddles, tack, animal supplies and rodeo equipment
• 50 years of watching trends come and go, knowing what’s hot and what’s definitely not

There’s so much we’ve accumulated and learned from your experiences. Combining this knowledge puts us in a unique position to help others by sharing it.

This Blog’s for You!

So in addition to blogging about upcoming 50th anniversary events, posting images and videos at those events, contests and major sales, there’s more in store for you. Future blog topics will offer tried and true information to help you -- or your four-footed friend(s) -- look, feel and perform your best. Here are just a few examples of the questions our customers ask us:

• How to find a cowboy boot that fits me properly
• What brands/products does Jackson’s carry that are made in the US
• Which brand of jeans fit best for my build and shape
• Are there new horse fly remedies that work
• What are the newest trends in western fashion
• What western wear styles are best for weddings
• Which bit style should I use for starting a young horse

Through pictures, videos, and blog posts we’ll be answering them and a whole lot more. Armed with good information you can enrich your life with the apparel you love or the tack and supplies needed to get the job done right.

You Can Help Too

There are many ways you can join us on this blog if you choose:

• Comment on things you agree or disagree with.
• Tell us your experience at an event we held or with a product you purchased
• Ask a question you’d like to see answered.
• Send us a story about something meaningful, fun, or helpful that relates to this our blog community. We might just put it up as a guest blog post.

Your questions, thoughts, and stories can enhance the blog to make it even more valuable and meaningful to its readers.

Don’t Miss a Post!

With a planned post every two weeks you’ll want to be sure you don’t miss one that relates to you. There are several ways you can be sure you’ll know the topic of every new blog post:

1. Sign up to get an email every time there’s a new blog post. Just add your email in the SUBSCRIBE box and then click Submit.
2. Visit our Facebook page -- we’ll be linking to all new posts

Please join us on this new journey for Jackson’s English & Western Store! You’ll be glad you did.