Wilson's of Wickford owners Craig Wilson, far left, and Paul Wilson maintain the longtime family business.
Wickford clothing store marks 6oth anniversary, keeps with latest trends
Wilson’s of Wickford, a men’s and women’s clothing and accessories store in the heart of Wickford Village, hasn’t changed much in the 60 years it has been on Brown Street. Sales staffs know customers by name and greet them with a smile. Wrapping and shipping are complimentary and the atmosphere is one of family.
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“It’s all about family,” said Paul Wilson, 75, who has worked in his family’s store in some capacity for 47 years, and still bounds up the stairs to his office like he’s 20. “Our employees are like family. We have a guy who’s been here for 40 years and our store manager has been here for 30 years.”
Wilson’s was opened in 1944 by Wilson’s parents, Ethel and Edward. Back then, there was a small men’s clothing shop in the then-smaller store. When the men’s store and a women’s store down the street both went out of business at the same time, Edward Wilson bought them out, including the merchandise, and opened Wilson’s. During the store’s 60 years, there have been multiple additions to the building, and in 1957, Paul took over, following his father’s death.
Although Wilson’s does not cater to a young crowd, Wilson said the store does try to target anywhere from 20s and up. It offers a range of clothing and accessories, from suits and sport coats to polo shirts and khakis for men, and blazers and slacks to beachwear and shorts for women. Accessories are very reflective of current trends – large jeweled pins, brightly colored scarves, hats and gloves in fluffy fabrics and faux fur-accented wraps and ponchos.
Word-of-mouth has helped the store stay on top of trends, Wilson said, as has the sales staff. “We’re only as good as they are, and we have our own ideas” on what sells. “Being on the waterfront also makes us unique.”
That location may be one of the reasons Wilson’s can sell bathing suits and summer wear in the dead of winter. People from neighboring states are also known to make the drive to Wilson’s for something they can’t find anywhere else.
Despite the selection, Wilson sticks to what his customers like, and doesn’t sell many fad clothing items. With so many of those items, he said, what’s hot today is out of style tomorrow.
“We’ve never been from A to Z; we’ve always tried to have a niche and be somewhere in the middle,” he said.
Wilson considers the clothing and accessories at Wilson’s to be in the middle and up price range, and its niche is the service and unique items that customers might not be able to find anywhere else.
One of those unique items is the Rhode Island Collection, which can only be found at Wilson’s of Wickford. The store has a special logo, a sailboat stitched over the shape of the state, sewn onto hats, shirts, caps, sweatshirts, fleeces and belts for men and women.
Jewelry, like the large pins, comes from Attleboro and Rhode Island jewelry manufacturers, Wilson said. Brand name clothing includes Tommy Bahama and Patagonia for men and women, Fresh Produce, Lilly Pulitzer, Garfield and Marks clothing lines for women, and Joseph Abboud suits for men.
While Wilson’s has always sold men’s and women’s clothing, but over the past six decades, tastes have changed and the store has expanded its selection. Casual clothing is a big seller and a large part of the clothing line at Wilson’s.
“We’ve branched out as people have been looking for different things,” he said, but added that Wilson’s has never dabbled in the more formal or cocktail attire. “We’ve never really been a dressy store.”
Something that has changed over the years around Wilson’s is the rest of the retail industry. With more big box retailers selling lower-quality products at cheaper prices, clothing shops like Wilson’s have become rare. Craig and Jim Wilson still go to the cities and shows to look for new merchandise, but the changes in the business are apparent.
“Some of the salesmen used to come here (to show product), but that has been curtailed a lot,” Wilson said. “There just aren’t many of us left, so we might not be on their route,” on their way to the mall stores or other large retailers.
Sixty years ago, “life was much simpler, and we didn’t have the choices we do now,” he added. “Now we’ve become spoiled. We expect lots of choices.”
Wilson’s may not have the dizzying selection of larger chain retailers, but the store still prides itself on its service, quality and uniqueness. Unlike competitors, when a customer needs help, he or she can always find someone to provide guidance at Wilson’s, he said.
