The Alexanian Story
Alexanian’s has been in business since 1925, and we have a long and colourful history which started with our founder Aris Alexanian. Aris was a dynamic individual who was dedicated to his customers and staff. It was he who set the tone for the Alexanian company, inspiring its growth and continued commitment to customer service.
In the Beginning – 1925
Alexanian’s was founded by Aris Alexanian in Hamilton, Ontario. After working as a teacher for orphaned Armenian children in Georgetown, Ontario he used his connections in the carpet business to open his first store on King Street, Hamilton specializing in imported hand knotted Oriental rugs from around the world. Eventually, Aris did his own carpet buying and traveled to the Middle East and India extensively.
You can read the Wikipedia entry on Aris Alexanian here.
Travel Highlights
Mr. Alexanian travelled extensively to the Middle East and India purchasing carpets. At the time few people ventured to these exotic lands and his trips were a source of local interest, often chronicled in The Hamilton Spectator. He recorded his adventures using a 16 mm movie camera. Upon his return, Aris would lecture to local community groups and show the films of his travels. By 1958, Aris claimed to have travelled 304,000 miles outside of the country since WW II.
Service, Service, Service
Aris built a reputation for great service. It was one of his mantras. During World War II, quality oriental carpets were difficult to obtain, and he was forced to sell lower quality rugs. After the war, he offered to replace these carpets with ones of better quality. In 1946, Aris started a cleaning company servicing the products Alexanian’s sold.
The Changing Times
When broadloom carpet appeared in the 1950’s, Alexanian’s expanded their offerings to include this new and exciting product. Since then, Alexanian’s has always kept up with the latest flooring trends. During this time Aris’ sons, Aram and Armen joined the company. His third son Albert joined soon after.
Growing strong…
New stores opened in Ottawa and Kitchener. In the coming years, stores in St. Catharines, Brantford, London, Burlington, Mississauga, Guelph, Toronto, Newmarket and Whitby were added. In 2017, Alexanian’s launched two additional stores, one in Barrie and the second in Toronto’s Castlefield Design District.
A New kind of Flooring Experience
Located in the heart of the Castlefield Design District in Toronto, Alexanian’s launched their first flagship store; SIGNATURE by Shelley Alexanian. SIGNATURE by Shelley Alexanian opened its doors in July 2017, featuring extraordinary and exclusive product lines, all displayed in a sophisticated and comfortable boutique style setting. SIGNATURE is an innovative, dynamic environment offering product displays with iPad integration, designer presentation centre, product knowledge workshops, professional installations and a commitment to quality and customer satisfaction that has been synonymous with the Alexanian name since 1925.
It’s All About the Team
It’s the strength of the Alexanian team that facilitates our success and long tradition of service. Through the dedication of our staff we are able to deliver a level of peerless service to our customers. Many years ago, Aris implemented a policy of giving employees a trip around the world for 25 years of service, and that gesture continues to this day.
Modern Times
Today Alexanian’s offers a full range of flooring products including tile, hardwood, laminates, vinyl, cork, and even window covering – all to meet the decorating demands of our customers. Today the excellent service continues with a 3rd and 4th generation of Alexanian’s joining the team, along with the continued dedication of our committed staff. There are 19 Alexanian locations and web store ready to serve you.
Alexanian Online Store
Alexanian’s online store has been selling rugs over the internet since 1999 and has shipped rugs to every Canadian province and territory including many American states. Our online store was a natural evolution of the company providing a source of information, an online catalogue and a source for shopping and delivering quality area rugs for customers across Canada.