About Us

Who We Are

Tweed & Hickory is a privately owned Canadian retail chain, in operation since 1955. We sell a unique blend of better quality merchandise including: ladies’ and men’s fashions, kitchenware, home accessories, gourmet foods and much, much more!
Our friendly, knowledgeable sales associates, warm surroundings, and fantastic product selection, are our commitment to providing our clients with the ultimate shopping experience.

Over the last fifty years, we have grown into a mid sized retailer currently operating 26 stores throughout Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Over the years much of our growth came through the acquisition of other independent retailers, with many having been in existence for generations. In fact, some are approaching their one hundredth year in business and are still going strong and by their original names (though we do add by Tweed & Hickory to their banner so that our customers know the affiliation).

More recently, we have begun to open our own stores applying the same concepts and principals that have made our other stores so successful. Although the merchandise mix is similar across our group of stores, every location has components that reflect the specific tastes and needs of their surrounding communities. We invite you to come and browse through any one of our stores, or our website, and discover what we like to call an adventure in lifestyle.

Our History

1955 - 1968

Nathan and Harry Lang two brothers living in Montreal, Québec, begin slowly acquiring independent clothing retailers. Mainly focused on men's wear, they spend the next thirteen years growing their chain to 7 stores including 2 ladies’ wear stores that they opened on their own called Chez Alexandra. They derived this name from one of their acquisitions by the name of Doug Alexander Men's wear.

1968 - 1970

Answering an advertisement in the classified section of a Montreal local newspaper, the Lang’s purchase Kastner’s Men’s & Boy’s Wear in Cornwall, Ontario. The forty year old store was a long standing retail institution, and was known for its good quality good value merchandise. With the success of their store in Cornwall, the two brothers slowly start liquidating their Montreal retail operation and they acquired Fogel’s Department store in Hawkesbury, Ontario. They soon realized that there was a loyal, captive clientele living in smaller communities.

1972 - 1974

Seymour Zuckerman, a Toronto native running a retail men’s wear chain in Northern Ontario, sells the Langs his chain of 4 stores. The deal, a two-phase buyout, saw the Lang’s first purchase the stores located in Kirkland Lake, and Timmins, Ontario. Two years later, Zuckerman sells the Lang’s his remaining two stores. One store was located in Sudbury and the other in Elliot Lake. Both again, were Northern Ontario mining towns with loyal community minded customers. Although geographically far from their homes in Montreal, the pair manages to operate the stores with the help of excellent managers at all locations.

1975 - 1985

Over the next ten years the Lang brother’s expanded their business to include two stores in Sault St. Marie, one in Buckingham, Quebec, one in Val D’or Québec, another in Timmins, one in Kapuskasing. They expand their product mix to include ladies apparel, footwear, children’s wear, and home furnishings.

1985 - 1991

These years include openings and closings. In 1987, the brothers close a couple of stores and acquire their first stores in east of Québec. Jacobson’s Ladies’ Wear and Tweed & Hickory Ladies’ Wear both situated in Sydney, Nova Scotia, mark a beginning in the next phase of expansion. The success of the Tweed & Hickory name and concept encourages the Lang’s to develop it further.

1997

In 1997, Nathan and Harry sell their positions to a group composed four of their seven children and the son of a long-standing manager. Together the five partners have begun to expand on the Tweed & Hickory name by opening and acquiring stores throughout Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. As a team they are constantly fine tuning their product mix, trying to adapt to the ever changing needs of their clients. The business follows the same principals that have made it successful for the last 50 years, and continues to grow.