The Cardiff-based business that has been open for over a century and has won family business of the year but it is difficult running an independent business today
David who now runs the business with his wife Liz started working for the family business when he was 13
Independent retailer A G Meek has been a staple shop in Cardiff city centre for more than a century. Originally, the store opened its first shop in Albany Road in Roath and has been a known name to residents in Cardiff for more than 112 years.
Husband and wife team, David and Liz Meek, are now the proud owners of their long family business. The shop was originally founded by David’s grandfather Albert George Meek, and when he went to fight in World War I, his wife continued the business.
The success of their store meant that by 1920, the couple opened a second shop opposite Cardiff Castle on Duke Street, marking the start of the business’s 105-year presence in the city centre. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here
The original shop in Albany Road Cardiff soon after opening in 1912
By 1981, A G Meek had moved their business from Duke Street in the city centre to St David’s shopping centre when it first opened.
Today, A.G. Meek operates three stores in Cardiff, Newport and Cwmbran, after decades of expansion and contraction inspired by changing shopping districts and two world wars.
“The first rule of having a shop is location,” Liz said. “And when you’ve been going 100 years, where the right place is changes.”
Much of the company’s success, they believe, comes down to staying close to customers.
For many years, A.G. Meek has prided itself on stocking what locals want. Liz describes the importance of valuable customer service, where the business listens to the wants and needs of residents.
After many years of experience, Liz expresses the importance of picking up on shopping patterns and fitting their products to what sells best in each area.
“As a small business, we can be a bit niftier, pick up the trends and clear them out when we want to. We try to sell something a bit different,” Liz said. “So many chains offer the same products.”
A.G. Meek also benefits from remarkable staff loyalty. Several employees have been with the business for decades. The owners praise their genuine staff, like Danielle, who has been with A G Meek for over 20 years.
David Meek has also been a part of his family business ever since he was 13. By 1979, when he was 19 years old, David started working full-time alongside his father in running the business.
Alongside him, Liz joined A G Meeks in 1992, which has marked over 30 years of service from her in the shoe shop.
The shop in Duke Street opposite the Cardiff Castle with the Queen passing on the occasion of her silver Jubilee in 1977
A century of being open means that the business has seen everything from economic recessions to the shock of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis that followed.
David recalls recently discovering an original cash book from the Duke Street shop, which showed weekly takings of £500 to £700 in the early 20th century, the equivalent, they estimate, of tens of thousands of pounds today.
Being an independent business in Cardiff is a tough task. David described it as “trying to fly a paper plane in a gale, there are so many external forces buffeting you around that it’s quite difficult. You have to sort of go with the wind, not try to go against it.”
The company famously advertised on early independent television under the jingle ‘Matching’s unique at A.G. Meek’, selling brightly coloured shoes and handbags. Liz recalls the joy she gets when customers sing the jingle to them when visiting the stores.
Winning the Family Business of the Year at the Cardiff Business Awards felt like a satisfying reward for the couple. “We were so pleased to get the recognition because although we’ve been established in Cardiff and we’ve got very, very loyal customers, we’re amazed at how many people in Cardiff still haven’t heard of us, even people who we think would be absolutely our target customer,” David says.
Speaking on the future and what the store hopes to do, next, Liz says: “We’ve always tried to make fashion fun, good service, a bit of common sense, and something different,” she said. “Shopping has become so dull and safe. We want to keep doing what independents do best.”
A G Meek is more than just a shoe shop; it is a century-long family legacy that is rooted in the heart of South Wales.