Small-town customer service
Phinneys has been a staple in downtown Kentville for a century
carole.morris-underhill @saltwire.com
@CMUnderhill
Frank Doyle waves as he walks through the front door, greeting the owners and staff at Phinneys with a hearty hello.
He’s on his lunch break as he makes his way to the counter to pick up his latest purchase — a pair of jeans
before that he tried on the week and had tailored.
“I like this business. The help here is always good. I know all the ladies that work here; I know Andrew and his wife. I shop here a lot; I like it,” the South Alton man said.
Doyle said he keeps coming back to the store because of the quality clothes, trendy fashions, and outstanding customer service.
“I’ll ask: ‘what does this look like on me?’” said Doyle. “They always give me their honest opinion.”
Such has been the case since 1922, when Phinneys first opened at 64 Webster
St. in Kentville. The current owners, Andrew and Miriam Zebian, took over in 2013 and hope to continue to build upon the store’s legacy for years to come.
“I always say, every day I come in here and unlock that
door, it’s an honour and a privilege,” said Andrew.
Before taking over Phinneys, Andrew operated Zebians inside the County Fair Mall in New Minas. At the urging of his wife, he started looking for a permanent location.
“I told him he needs to get out and buy a building and stop paying high rent,” recalled Miriam.
Around the same time, Phinneys went on the market.
“We knew it was a landmark. It had been here for so long,” she said, noting they immediately recognized the potential.
“We knew it was an institution in town,” Andrew said, noting his late father used to say Phinneys was one of the top tier clothing stores in the Annapolis Valley.
As for why they kept the name: “Why would you want to play with history?” Andrew asked.
“We updated (the store) and brought in some new lines and new brands and revived it,” he added.
But they maintained the personable service — which has kept people walking through the doors for
100-plus years.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
According to a special 1972 insert published in the Kentville Advertiser, E.J. Bishop constructed the block of buildings in 1893 and operated a clothing store where Phinneys now exists.
Lewis (Lew) Wendell Phinney of Middleton bought the store in 1922 and operated it under his name until 1947. He continued to frequent the store in his senior years, until his death in 1965.
In 1948, the business was sold to his son, R. Wendell Phinney, who ran the store until retiring in 1976. He sold it to an employee.
Over the years, the building’s footprint was expanded multiple times. In 1952, for example, a large addition was made to the rear of the building; and in 1962, the former Webster’s Jewelry store was incorporated into the men’s section, providing more floor space. The third storey of the building was also removed, “making the building and skyline more in keeping with its neighbours.”
On March 23, 1972, the staff and customers of R.W. Phinney Ltd. celebrated the newly renovated store as part of its 50th anniversary. It was reported the new store was “designed to incorporate the latest in-store layout, newest in interior display and the best for customer convenience.”
The store is now about 5,000 square feet.
Unlike the early years when the focus was on men’s wear, Phinneys now caters to all ages and both men and women. The Zebians employ five people and offer on-site tailoring.
PANDEMIC PIVOT
Andrew and Miriam said that while the worldwide pandemic brought many challenges, it also provided some opportunities.
“You don’t realize how quickly you can pivot until a situation like that — if you want to, you’ll learn to adapt,” said Andrew.
After the province closed in-person shopping in 2020, the Zebians knew customers wanted an online shopping option. They took the provincial shutdown in stride and rolled out an online service.
“It was good because it drove us to do it. But on the
opposite end, it was very stressful,” said Miriam, noting they had to take photos of all of the available merchandise, enter it into an online system and maintain and update the website.
They’ve since shipped items worldwide, with Australia, Germany and Mexico being the furthest places to date.
Andrew said he appreciates the online element but notes it’ll never replace the joy he feels when interacting with customers in person.
“It’s nice to come in and see orders and mail them out. But it’s not the same. When somebody comes in, and they want a suit or a dress, or whatever, we spend time with them and … (they leave) happy,” he said.
“That’s the main thing: to see a smile on their face and you know that they’re confident in how they feel. You feel like you’ve accomplished something, you’ve made them happy.”
In addition to online sales, customers found other ways to keep Phinneys operational during the pandemic’s uncertainty. “People would just call and buy gift cards to use later on. They didn’t have to do that. It was appreciated,” said Andrew.
“The support we receive every day, even during COVID, from our customers — who we call family — it was incredible to see. People still help us to keep this business afloat and support us in that way,” Miriam added.
Andrew’s passion for fashion comes by honestly.
Both of his parents had ties to the industry. His late father started Mike’s Clothing in 1961 in Hantsport and his mother grew up in Cumberland County, where her parents operated a momand-pop shop for more than 50 years.
“He was born and bred into the business. It’s in his genes,” said Miriam, smiling.
LOOKING FORWARD
The Zebians, who have four children between three and nine years of age, are excited about the future. They see themselves at Phinneys for years to come.
Miriam said they have
100th-anniversary started to plan celebrations at the store as they want to do something special for their customers later in the year.
The Zebians said ultimately, their success lies with their customers.
“Because truly, and honestly, they have kept Phinneys alive for 100 years. It’s always been them,” said Miriam.
She said they wouldn’t want to become too big, like a box store, because the personal interaction would get lost.
“We know what they like. We know what our customers want. We know their style. We learn those things. I think customers appreciate that,” said Miriam. “Where if they go to a big box store, they’ll never get that.”
Andrew agreed.
“I don’t think I can leave Kentville. I love Webster Street. I love this. I would
motioning miss this,” said Andrew, to clothing racks as customers mulled about the store.
“It would be very hard to leave here because you get very attached to everybody. You become a fixture in the town.”
Much like the owners of yesteryear, the Zebians are committed to providing a
experience. memorable shopping
It’s not unusual for Andrew to pop by after hours to get more work done, staying until the wee morning hours. He also serves on town council.
“I don’t think you’ll ever find someone more passionate about Kentville than Andrew.
“He’s very, very into making it thrive — not just from a business perspective but for his own children and for people,” said Miriam. “It gives him more motivation and more of an incentive to keep doing what he’s doing here and forming those relationships.”
And what’s the key to success?
“I always remember what my dad said: ‘sell good stuff and be good to people.’ It’s simple advice,” Andrew said — and it’s advice he keeps close to his heart.