This article has an unclear citation style .(January 2021) |
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Retail |
Founded | September 26, 1909 |
Founders | Alfred J. Richard Pieter Christian Richard |
Headquarters | Farmingdale, New York, U.S. |
Area served | Northeastern United States |
Key people | Gregg Richard (President and CEO) [1] |
Revenue | US$1.5 billion (2008) [2] |
Number of employees | ~3,000 (2018) [3] |
P.C. Richard & Son, commonly known as simply P.C. Richard, is the largest chain of private, family-owned appliance, television, electronics, and mattress stores in the United States. [4] Its 66 stores are located in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, with the majority of the stores located on Long Island, including 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. It is used by the New York Yankees after striking out an opposing batter at Yankee Stadium. It is also used by the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball after striking out an opposing batter at Fairfield Properties Ballpark. It also is used by the Somerset Patriots of the Eastern League after striking out an opposing batter at TD Bank Ballpark.
In 1909, Pieter Christian Richard, who left Holland in 1899, opened a small hardware store in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn (“Work Well Done” 14). In October of that same year, P.C.’s son, Alfred J. Richard (A.J.), was born. Born into the business less than a month after it opened, A.J. played an important role from the beginning. He spent his childhood helping out at the store, only leaving it to go to school. When he completed ninth grade in 1923, A.J. decided to drop out of school and focus entirely on helping his family and building the business (“Work Well Done” 25). A.J. was responsible for introducing the first electric appliance to the inventory, the electric clothes iron, as well as time payments so his customers could afford them (“Work Well Done” 32).
On February 1, 1947, A.J. officially took over as the company president and majority shareholder. It was around this time that he began to introduce his sons, Peter and Gary, to the family business (“Work Well Done” 58). Soon, the company grew into a chain as it expanded into Long Island. After the death of his father P.C. in 1972, A.J. promoted himself to chairman of the board in 1974, and he held that position until his death, well into his nineties. Peter and Gary were originally named co-presidents, but this arrangement changed in 1982, when Gary became president and Peter became executive vice president. Soon, Gary’s son Gregg began to work his way into the fabric of the company in the same way his father and grandfather had, until he became president in 2004. A.J. died weeks later at ninety-five years old. "The fourth generation, Gregg Richard, Bonni Rondinello and Peter Richard, III" are now involved in helping to run what their great-grandfather began. [1] [5]
P.C. Richard and Son expanded into New Jersey in 1993 (“Work Well Done” 111). Between 1995 and 2003, it opened fifteen new showrooms in New Jersey, Westchester County, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island (“Work Well Done” 127).
In 2009, P.C. Richard and Son opened 6 new stores in former Circuit City locations, including its first in Connecticut. It continued to expand in Connecticut in 2010, opening stores in Milford, North Haven, Danbury, Newington, Manchester, and Enfield. [6] The first Pennsylvania superstore opened in Philadelphia in June of that year.
The company added mattresses to its inventory in 2014, featuring Sealy, Stearns & Foster, and Tempur-Pedic brands in fourteen stores.
In 2016, P.C. Richard and Son began an exclusive retail partnership with Beko, one of Europe's leading appliance brands. This is Beko's first appearance in the United States market.
Separate from its retail operations, the company has a unit it calls its Builders Division, to arrange bulk purchases by builders, property managers and large facilities. [7] [8] [9]
The New York Times wrote that "the chain's commercials emphasize people over products" [5] and added that "some of their ads strike an earnest tone that evokes Norman Rockwell's America" and quoted a customer view about "what makes P.C. Richard tick." Part of this approach, according to what The New York Daily News printed, is being "a store that values employees enough to let them spend Thanksgiving with their families." [16] New York Newsday wrote about being "closed on Thanksgiving and opening at 4 a.m. on Black Friday." [17]
Social networking supports being closed on Thanksgiving, said a 2014 New York Post opinion item. [18]
Long Island is a populous island east of Manhattan in southeastern New York state, constituting a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land area. The island extends from New York Harbor 118 miles (190 km) eastward into the North Atlantic Ocean with a maximum north–south width of 23 miles (37 km). With a land area of 1,401 square miles (3,630 km2), it is the largest island in the contiguous United States.
White Plains is a city in and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is the 29th-largest municipality in the state of New York, an inner suburb of New York City, and a commercial hub of Westchester County, a densely populated suburban county that is home to about one million people. White Plains is located in south-central Westchester County. Its downtown is 25 miles (40 km) north of Midtown Manhattan.
The New York metropolitan area, broadly referred to as the Tri-State area and often also called Greater New York, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass, encompassing 4,669.0 sq mi (12,093 km2). The New York metropolitan area is one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world, the largest metropolitan area in the U.S., and the only U.S. metropolitan area home to more than 20 million residents as of the 2020 United States census.
Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a U.S. non-governmental, and tax-exempt 501(C)(3) Christian nonprofit organization which seeks to build affordable housing. It was founded in 1976 by couple Millard and Linda Fuller. The international operational headquarters are located in Americus, Georgia, United States, with the administrative headquarters located in Atlanta. As of 2023, Habitat for Humanity operates in more than 70 countries.
Gimbel Brothers was an American department store corporation that operated for over a century, from 1842 until 1987. Gimbel patriarch Adam Gimbel opened his first store in Vincennes, Indiana, in 1842. In 1887, the company moved its operations to the Gimbel Brothers Department Store in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It became a chain when it opened a second, larger store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1894, moving its headquarters there. At the urging of future company president Bernard Gimbel, grandson of the founder, the company expanded to New York City in 1910.
New Roc City, also known as New Rochelle Center, is an entertainment, retail and residential complex in the Downtown section of the city of New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York. It is located at 33 LeCount Place, between Main Street North and Main Street South. The center was built on the site of the former New Rochelle Mall, which closed in 1992.
Abraham & Straus, commonly shortened to A&S, was a major New York City department store, based in Brooklyn. Founded in 1865, it became part of Federated Department Stores in 1929. Shortly after Federated's 1994 acquisition of R.H. Macy & Company, it eliminated the A&S brand. Most A&S stores took the Macy's name, although a few became part of Stern's, another Federated division, but one that offered lower-end goods than Macy's or A&S did.
Walden Galleria is a regional shopping mall located in Cheektowaga, a suburb of Buffalo, New York located east of Interstate 90 and New York State Thruway exit 52 off Walden Avenue. The Walden Galleria comprises more than 1,600,000 square feet (150,000 m2) of retail space, with 170 stores on two levels, including a food court and a movie theater. In 2021, Walden Galleria was listed among the top 20 most visited shopping centers in America, attracting over 23 million visitors from the United States and Canada. The mall is owned and managed by The Pyramid Companies of Syracuse, New York, the same management firm which developed it. The mall features Macy's, JCPenney, Primark, Dick's Sporting Goods, Best Buy, in addition to a 16-screen Regal Cinemas which also features 4DX.
Gristedes is a New York City–based chain of supermarkets. It serves a mostly urban customer base.
The Margolis Brown Adaptors Company (MBAC) is an internationally touring physical theatre company that also houses the Margolis Method Training Center now located in Highland, New York. It was established in New York City in 1984 by Kari Margolis and Tony Brown. As co-artistic directors, Margolis and Brown have thus far co-authored, directed, and sometimes performed in 16 full-length theatrical productions, as well as numerous site-specific works at such places as the Brooklyn Museum, Coney Island, and the historic John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge on the Delaware River.
Raymour & Flanigan is a family-owned American furniture retail chain, based in the Northeastern United States.
The Cortlandt Town Center is a large retail power center located in Cortlandt, New York. The New York Times called it "the main shopping area of the town of Cortlandt Manor" in 2003. The current incarnation was founded in 1997 from buildings that made up the mostly enclosed Westchester Mall built in 1975. Many new buildings were added as well, and it is currently a predominantly outdoor shopping center, eventually growing to approximately 772,000 sq ft (71,700 m2). Anchor stores include Walmart, The Home Depot, Best Buy, Acme Markets, Barnes & Noble, PetSmart, Michaels, Old Navy, Marshall's, DSW, and Home Goods. It also contains a 12-screen United Artists Theater, GameStop, Five Below, Mattress Firm, the Mohegan Lake post office and several restaurants including McDonald's, Applebee's, Panera Bread, Subway, Five Guys, Emperor's Garden, and Mia's Pizza. There are 3 vacant spaces last left by Modell's Sporting Goods, Pier 1 Imports, and Dress Barn.
National Wholesale Liquidators is a Brooklyn, New York-based company that operates warehouse-style closeout discount stores. It offers a mix of brand-name items, everyday household items, and furniture. National Wholesale Liquidators carries over 120,000 items. The company also offers appliances, automotive products, bath towels, bedding, carpets and floor covers, detergents and cleaning products, electrical hardware, electronics, food products, furniture outdoor, giftware, health and beauty aids, holiday decorative, and household storage products. In addition, it offers indoor furniture, jewelry, kitchen towels-linens, luggage, men's apparel and fragrances, paint and sundries, paper goods and supplies, personal umbrellas, pet supplies, sporting goods, vacuums and accessories, video games, and women's fragrances.
Sleepy's was a retail mattress chain with over 1,000 stores, primarily situated in the northeastern United States. The company was founded in New York City in 1931. Sleepy's was acquired by Mattress Firm in December 2015 and all stores were rebranded under the Mattress Firm name on January 1, 2017, but the website continued as an online retailer until 2018. Mattress Firm now uses the Sleepy's name for their private label mattresses.
Sears Holdings Corporation was an American holding company headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. It was the parent company of the chain stores Kmart and Sears and was founded after the former purchased the latter in 2005. It was the 20th-largest retailing company in the United States in 2015. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 15, 2018, and sold its assets to ESL Investments in 2019. The new owner moved Sears assets to its newly formed subsidiary Transformco and after that, Sears Holdings Corporation was closed.
Eugene De Rosa was an Italian American architect, named at birth Eugenio. He worked in New York City and specialized in the design of theatres.
Mattress Firm Inc. is an American mattress store chain founded on July 4, 1986. The headquarters of the company is located in Houston, Texas.
Alfredo De Vido is an architect and author in New York City. He is known for his residential projects. His work also includes the 1993 renovation of the Queens Theatre in the Park.
Sutton Manor is a distinctive early 20th century suburban residential district in the city of New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York. The neighborhood is located off the northern shore of Long Island Sound on Echo Bay. It was developed as an upper middle class enclave for families with heads of households employed in New York City and served as a model for the ideal suburban setting; harmonious architecture and exclusive amenities. The development appears to have been modeled on neighboring Larchmont Manor in the Town of Mamaroneck, yet on a smaller scale. That subdivision was conceived originally as an exclusive and convenient seasonal playground for New York’s wealthy upper classes, with its 6-acre waterfront park.
Newmark and Lewis was a chain of consumer electronics stores described by The New York Times as an appliance-store chain. It was founded by Edward Newmark and Richard David Lewis in 1924. Problems of the industry of which it was part included cutthroat price competition, which caused low profit margins, and slow consumer purchasing cycles, the latter because of "lack of fresh products." When it closed in 1992, it had 26 remaining stores, having earlier closed even more than that.
'There Is a Difference,' the retailer's current campaign, attempts to depict what Mr. Richard, a grandson of the founder, describes as four generations of family involvement in operations and management, informed and friendly sales representatives, and deep roots in the area.
...has a specialty agreement with P.C. Richard's Builders' Division
option to renew the contract with P.C. Richard Builders Division for the purchase of
courtesy of P.C. Richard & Son
receive .. presented by P.C. Richard & son
4th consecutive year of supporting