Rings are shown at Wright's Jewelry, which is celebrating 125 years in business this year. (Photo Courtesy Kevin Kyle)

By Chris Brown

Wright’s Jewelry has had the right stuff for 125 years

Feb 19, 2023 | 11:10 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Jewelry has been in the Wright family for generations and the store has been in other families for generations as well.

“You know I’ve got three generations of people coming in you know doing different weddings and anniversaries and all that,” says Todd Wright, the owner of Wright’s Jewelry. “It’s quite amazing to see. Kids grow up and have kids and you’re helping them out.”

The store is celebrating 125 years this year. It was founded in 1898, even before Medicine Hat was incorporated as a city, and is one of the longest-running businesses in the community, if not the longest.

Wright says he’s talked to others in the industry and there are only a handful who have stood the test of time like Wright’s has.

He says a lot of good fortune and smart family members got the store to where it is today. But that’s not all.

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“I would think the biggest thing is the great support of our community,” he says. “We really appreciate that support from our loyal fanbase and customer base and that’s really why we’re successsful.”

The approach for the business has always been to build confidence with the customer, says Wright.

“We’ll look after it. If there’s a difficulty, let’s try and make it better and just do your best to help everybody out.”

Wright says much of the store’s clientele have been customers for years and years, from the days the store was in the Medicine Hat Mall and all the way back to its time downtown.

He has also been along for those moves, recalling being in the back engraving when the store was on Third Avenue in the city’s core. Since he took over as owner in 2010 the store has moved to its current location across from Walmart.

The customers have been a constant through the moves but the business model has changed, especially in recent years. Wright says online retail has bitten into their sales.

“So where our company has morphed more into is the service part of it,” he says. “You still need to get things maintained and checked and looked after that way. That’s I think the strongest part of our business right now.”

Wright says pre-Valentine’s Day isn’t quite as hectic as it has been in the past, that dining out and chocolates have taken over from jewelry as the go-to gift.

But he says the busy time of year for jewellers is coming up.

“Spring brings a little bit of spring fever I guess and maybe we’ll see some engagements.”

And there’s no substitute for an engagement ring.