Dietrick Motiak set to celebrate 50 years in his downtown Welland clothing store

Word of mouth is how people find his business, he said.

“I have a good following, they won’t let me retire. I have a lot of the same customers … their children have come here.

“I do see new customers as people move into the area,” he said, adding when Hunters Pointe started to grow, he gained people from that part of the city.

Keeping customers through generations comes through being personable, Motiak said.

“Be good to them, and they are good to you.”

One of the keys to keeping customers and bringing in new ones is getting to know them, their clothing size and bringing in new items.

“If someone comes in to buy something for someone, they just have to tell me who it is, and I can go from there.”

Dietrick’s tailors clothes for its customers as well. Motiak has had the same tailor, Frank Mazzei, with him for 50 years. Window display decorator Variety Duc has also been with him for the same time.

“I asked her when she was going to retire. She said when I do. As long as I am healthy, I’m going to keep going.”

Motiak, who turns 75 this year, said the work is not hard.

“It’s not like factory work, you don’t have to punch a clock. If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t be here today,” he said, adding people are sometimes surprised to find him still working.

These days, Motiak is a one-man show at the store, open Monday and Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.

His daughters, Jessica and Jennifer, and wife, Ginette, help around Christmas time.

“In the early days, I’d have a student working here on the weekends. My two daughters worked here, too.”

Motiak won’t be doing anything special for his 50th anniversary.

“I always give special prices, people know they’ll get a discount.”