P. C. Richard & Son

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.

P.C. Richard & Son, Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryRetail
FoundedSeptember 26, 1909 (1909-09-26)
FoundersAlfred J. Richard
Pieter Christian Richard
HeadquartersFarmingdale, New York, U.S.
Area served
Northeastern United States
Key people
Gregg Richard (President and CEO)[1]
RevenueIncreaseUS$1.5 billion (2008)[2]
Number of employees
~3,000 (2018)[3]

History
A P.C. Richard & Son store in Manchester, Connecticut, after replacing a former Circuit City store.

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][6]

Growth and expansion

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.[7] 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.

Builders Division

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.[8][9][10]

Official sponsorships

Thanksgiving

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."[17] New York Newsday wrote about being "closed on Thanksgiving and opening at 4 a.m. on Black Friday."[18]

Social networking supports being closed on Thanksgiving, said a 2014 New York Post opinion item.[19]

Class Action Suits Against P.C. Richard & Son

Over the years, P.C. Richard & Son has faced several class action lawsuits from consumers.

In 2020, a class action lawsuit was filed against P.C. Richard & Son, alleging that the customer credit card receipts from the company's stores contained too much information. This was considered a violation of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA).[4]

During the same year, three customers of P.C. Richard & Son filed a lawsuit, claiming that the retailer used unlicensed workers to install gas appliances.[6] According to reports, the plaintiffs seek to turn the lawsuit into a class action, covering several thousand consumers who were misled about licensed professionals fulfilling installation agreements since July 2014.

In 2022, P.C. Richard & Son faced another proposed class action suit. This lawsuit alleged that the retailer unlawfully failed to make its website fully and equally accessible to visually impaired consumers.[7] The plaintiff, a legally blind resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has "advocated for blind individuals his entire life," according to the complaint. The lawsuit alleges that P.C. Richard & Son ran counter to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

References
  1. Jasmin K. Williams (October 11, 2005). "A New York Institution". The New York Post.
  2. Siwolop, Sana (February 17, 2009). "P. C. Richard Takes On the New Jersey Turnpike". The New York Times.
  3. "Thank You, P.C. Richard & Son for 20+ Great Years in Union Square". Union Square Partnership. January 25, 2018. Archived from the original on 2020-02-28.
  4. "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" (PDF). Growing Your Business. PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP. 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 29, 2012.
  5. Warren Strugatch (December 14, 2003). "P.C. Richard Takes a 'Down Home' Approach". The New York Times.
  6. "four generations of family involvement"
  7. P.C. Richard & Son New Stores Archived 2010-12-20 at the Wayback Machine, P.C. Richard & Son Website as of August 23, 2010
  8. "Fordham Specific Agreements/Programs". .. has a specialty agreement with P.C. Richard's Builders' Division
  9. "Manhattan Builders & Contractors". The Manhattan Buzz.
  10. "MINUTES Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners" (PDF). option to renew the contract with P.C. Richard Builders Division for the purchase of
  11. "Schedule: Long Island Ducks Baseball". courtesy of P.C. Richard & Son
  12. "Long Island Ducks Opening Night Giveaway Announced". February 5, 2015. receive .. presented by P.C. Richard & son
  13. "Nosy Neighbor: P.C. Richard & Son Theater". Tribeca Citizen. November 8, 2010. Archived from the original on July 10, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  14. "iHeartRadio Theater". QRO Magazine. December 4, 2009. Archived from the original on September 11, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  15. "A Perfect Performathon 2019!". Music Conservatory. 10 December 2019. 4th consecutive year of supporting
  16. "Music Conservatory of Westchester's Performathon". December 13, 2018.
  17. "Readers sound off on Black Friday". The New York Daily News. November 25, 2011.
  18. Keiko Morris (November 14, 2012). "P.C. Richard & Son resists trend to open on Thanksgiving day". Newsday.
  19. Nicole Gelinas (November 23, 2014). "A social boycott: Networking to roll back Thanksgiving store hours". New York Post.

Further reading
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