"Oh, like the Tilley hat?"
It's a response Nikki Tilley is used to hearing when she tells people her last name. And yes, it is just like the ubiquitous brand of brimmed hats. Nikki, her brother Jeff, and their parents John and Barbara own and operate Tilley Endurables Western Inc. (often called Tilley Vancouver). Their 4,000-square-foot retail store, prominently located at the corner of Granville Street and West Eighth Avenue in Vancouver, sells a complete line of travel clothing and accessories - including the famous hats.
The business got its start back in the early 1980s. Nikki's uncle Alex (John's brother) had developed a sailing hat and a pair of shorts that he began selling at trade shows in Eastern Canada and the U.S. John covered the western territory, marketing the products at boat shows in B.C., Washington and Oregon. Things took off and on May 15, 1985 Barbara began welcoming customers by-appointment into the family's Lynn Valley basement where she'd set up a makeshift retail space. Nikki and Jeff, who were just kids at the time, had to play elsewhere when shoppers were over getting fitted for hats.
A few months later, the North Shore Tilley family opened their first storefront on Pemberton Avenue, just south of Marine Drive. It was a tight space and the business moved a couple more times over the years (there was a spot on West Broadway in Vancouver and another on Marine Drive in North Vancouver) before settling into its South Granville location, where it has been for about 20 years.
The inventory has vastly expanded beyond the original "T1" hat. Today, the retailer offers a wide selection of pants, dresses, tops, jackets, socks, underwear and accessories, all practically designed with the world traveller in mind.
"It's all geared toward travel and adventure," Nikki says.
Thirty years since its humble beginnings, Tilley hats remain the core of the independent family business and Nikki estimates some 4,400 are sold each year. "The hats have changed shape a little bit. They now are sloped in the front and back to provide more sun protection," she says, explaining there is also an evolving selection of hat styles, colours and fabrics to choose from. Most hats and caps come with a lifetime guarantee against wearing out. In fact, at Tilley Vancouver's 30-year anniversary party last month, one customer brought along a hat he purchased in 1986 - "and it still looks great!" Nikki says.
More than simply a retail store, Tilley Vancouver has endeavoured over the years to create a community of travellers. Free packing seminars are offered regularly at the Granville Street store and customers often send in photos and "Tilley tales" from their vacations.
On the other side of Canada, Alex Tilley has recently retired and sold his portion of the business, Toronto-based Tilley Endurables Inc., which manufactures and distributes the products. But Nikki says the company is continuing to operate as usual and the flagship Toronto retail store is still open.
Here on the West Coast, as Barbara and John slowly move into retirement, Jeff and Nikki are preparing to take over. Fortunately, the siblings learned the ropes early on. Nikki remembers tagging along to trade shows with her dad, braiding hat cords while sitting in the back of boats.
"We grew up playing in the clothing racks," she says, noting that her young children now do the same thing.
Nikki and Jeff both worked in the store as teenagers. While Jeff stayed on with the family business over the years, Nikki took 10 years off to travel and go to school before finding her way back. Looking ahead to the next 30 years, she says Tilley Vancouver will continue to adapt to the ever-changing market and there are plans to introduce outside brands that complement the Tilley line. For example, Patagonia outerwear is coming this fall. Other plans include relocating the retail store once again, but there's no word yet on where it might end up.
"We're actually going to be moving our store at the end of this year," Nikki says. "We're looking for a slightly bigger location."
