WESTLOCK — A&M Clothing and Shoes is honouring its past and returning to its roots by renaming the Westlock department store to A&M, which was its original name when it opened in 1952.
Current store owners Todd and Bonnie Arth and their son, store manager Colton, are celebrating that history after serving the community for 71 years with a grand opening this Friday, Oct. 20.
“When I was a young man and learning from my grandfather, he always told me when it comes to business, if you treat people right they will come back. That’s what we strive to do every day in business here,” said Todd Arth.
His grandfather, Frank Arth, ran a small store near Cadomin when he learned of an opportunity from his traveller Henry Michaud and bought the dry goods inventory from Lindy Lindahl in Westlock.
“That’s how the original A&M, Arths and Michaud, started,” he said.
Like it does today, the store sold men and women’s clothing as well as some children’s wear and shoes. In 1968, Michaud opted out of the business and Frank’s son Richard, who was teaching in Leduc at the time, got into the family business. They moved back home and Frank and Richard Arth became business partners.
After Frank retired in 1979, Richard continued running the business alongside his two sons Brad, who joined in 1979, and later Todd, who joined in 1983. Along the way, the business changed its name to Arth’s Fashion Centre in 1985.
In 1989, the two brothers took over operations from their father Richard and were partners until 1993 when Todd took over as sole owner. After graduating university in 2012, Colton decided to join his father in the family business.
Four generations later, A&M Clothing & Shoes is still thriving.
“(Changing the name back to A&M) was just a reinvention of ourselves moving forward while honouring our past,” said Todd, noting the initials today represent Arths and Members (staff members). “To our older customers it’s a memory and excitement from the past of something they used to do. Now moving forward to the new customers out there that have just come to town that don’t know anything about us, we’re a new store.”
Colton has worked with the store since he was a teenager, for close to 20 years and is excited about the recent changes.
“The store has such a rich history in this town and in my family,” he said, noting the partnerships over the years that built it, made it successful and kept it going are an important part of the store’s legacy. “It’s Arths and Members (A&M) because we have a really good team, we succeed together … when somebody hears our name or sees us, they know what we are.”
Being a valued part of the community for several decades has meant improving customer service and efficiencies over the years, to serve people better.
“There’s been lots of rumours, but we plan on being here for the long-haul,” said Colton.
“It’s humbling. We have always contributed back to our community,” added Todd. “Westlock’s been nothing but good to us and we enjoy it.”
