P. C. Richard & Son
Encyclopedia
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. 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.
section of Brooklyn. This particular store sold hardware and was run by Peter Christiään Richard, an immigrant from Holland. 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, which at that point was located in Queens. 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.
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.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, with the majority of the stores located on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
boroughs
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
and Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. The company is also known for its trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
whistle
Whistle
A whistle or call is a simple aerophone, an instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means...
jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
created by Soundsmith worker Leer Leary.
History
The first P.C. Richard opened on September 26, 1909 in the BensonhurstBensonhurst, Brooklyn
Bensonhurst is a neighborhood located in the southwestern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn.-Geography:Sometimes erroneously thought to include all or parts of such neighborhoods as Bath Beach, Dyker Heights, and Borough Park, or to be defined by the streets where the concentration of...
section of Brooklyn. This particular store sold hardware and was run by Peter Christiään Richard, an immigrant from Holland. 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, which at that point was located in Queens. 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.
Growth and expansion
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.