P. C. Richard & Son

P.C. Richard & Son, Inc.
Private
Industry Retailing
Founded September 26, 1909
Headquarters Farmingdale, New York, United States
Number of locations
 66 (November 2011)
Key people
 Gregg Richard, President
Gary Richard, CEO and Chairman
Revenue IncreaseUS $1.29 billion (2007)
IncreaseUS $ Unknown
Number of employees
 2,700 (2007)
Website www.pcrichard.com

P.C. Richard & Son, also known as simply P.C. Richard, is the largest chain of private, family-owned electronics and appliances stores in the United States.[1] Its stores are located in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, with the majority of the stores located on Long Island and in the New York City boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. The company is also known for its trademark whistle jingle created by Soundsmith worker Leer Leary.

History

The first P.C. Richard opened on September 26, 1909 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.[2] This particular store sold hardware and was run by Peter Christian Richard, an immigrant from the Netherlands. The first electric appliance the store sold was an electric iron. His son, Alfred J. Richard, would spend all of his time helping his father, as he quit school at the age of fourteen for the sake of the store. Within time, A.J. would become the head of the store, and would prove to be highly successful in persuading people to buy appliances. As the years progressed, his sons would aid him with the business, as they expanded to other locations. To this day, the chain is still run by the Richard family, as A.J. himself would serve as chairman well into his 90's. On December 28, 2004, A.J. Richard died at the age of 95.[3]

Growth and expansion

PC Richard & Son opened 5 stores in former Circuit City locations, including this store in Norwalk, CT

In 2009, P.C. Richard and Son announced that it would acquire the leases of 5 empty Circuit City stores in New Jersey (3), New York (1) and Connecticut (1). The announcement marked an expansion of the company's footprint, with its first stores in Connecticut and the New Jersey shore communities. P.C. Richard & Son cited its financial stability and ability to negotiate favorable lease rates as reasons the company chose to expand.

In 2010, P.C. Richard and Son opened stores in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Milford, North Haven, and Danbury in Connecticut. Three more stores in Connecticut, located in Manchester, Newington, and Enfield have also opened.[4]

P.C. Richard has multiple divisions. Aside from the major retail chain, they feature a separate corporate division that deals primarily with contractors and management companies on a wholesale basis. This division, known as the "Builder's Division", is one of the largest net gain sources for P.C. Richard & Son.

Official sponsors

References

  1. ↑ "Beating the Odds: How PC Richard & Son, the largest privately held appliance and electronics retailer in the country, continues to thrive through 100 years and four generations". Growing Your Business. PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 1, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Our History". P.C. Richard & Son. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  3. ↑ Bayor, Jennifer (January 1, 2015). "A.J. Richard, 95, Tinkerer Who Built Appliance Chain, Dies". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 1, 2014.
  4. ↑ P.C. Richard & Son New Stores, P.C. Richard & Son Website as of August 23, 2010

External links

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