Keeping styles fresh on Canada’s east coast, Phinneys Clothing in Nova Scotia has been operating for over a century. What started as a locally-owned menswear shop has expanded into apparel for men and women from head to toe. Now operating online and from its original brick-and-mortar store, Phinneys has grown its reach internationally.

Opening shop

The building where Phinneys is currently located was constructed in 1893 by E.J. Bishop, who operated his own namesake menswear store. In 1922, Lewis Phinney purchased the clothing shop on 64 Webster Street in Kentville, N.S. and renamed the business Phinneys.

Initially, Phinneys only carried quality menswear. Current co-owner, Andrew Zebian, says he believes clothing in-store was pretty formal in the early days. Growing up, he remembers his father talking about the quality of Phinneys’ products. “He used to say Phinneys was always the place people went if they wanted really, really good stuff,” he commented. It became a destination, attracting shoppers from across the province and beyond.

 

Changing times

Ready to retire from the business in 1948, Lewis Phinney sold the shop to his son R. Wendell Phinney, who advertised Phinneys as having “everything for dad and the lad.” Zebain couldn’t confirm the extent of its “lad” line but did say Boy Scout uniforms were once available in-store.

While Phinneys has remained in the same location since the beginning, its building changed and expanded over time including major renovations in 1972 for the store’s fiftieth anniversary.

After 28 years of managing the shop, Wendell retired in 1976 and sold the business to an employee, Bruce Fagan. In 1997, Fagan made a major change to Phinneys’ product line, bringing in womenswear for the first time.

 

New Era

Phinneys changed hands again in 2013 when Andrew and Mariam Zebian purchased the business. Andrew grew up with his father in the retail business and from an early age followed in his footsteps to open his own clothing store. When the opportunity came to acquire Phinneys, it was something he and Mariam couldn’t pass up.

Together, they’ve revitalized the store with new brands and styles of apparel for men and women. In 2020, they expanded into e-commerce and implemented a digitalized inventory system for the first time in nearly 100 years. The change has broadened Phinneys’ customer base, Zebian says they’ve received online orders internationally in the U.S., Europe and as far as Australia.

 

Here to stay

Today, operations continue at Phinneys Clothing, still at 64 Webster Street in Kentville, N.S. The store is currently undergoing renovations to double its size. Despite changes over time, Zebian says the level of customer service at Phinneys has remained consistent. “We’ve made so many memories here and met wonderful people. It’s a place I’m proud to come to every day”, he commented.

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