P.C. Richard & Son History

In 1923, 14-year-old A.J. dropped out of school after completing the ninth grade to work full time with his father in the store. With an instinctive feel for his trade and love for customer service, he helped develop a loyal clientele for his family’s business. The ambitious father and son team grew their business and a strong reputation for reliability. As A.J. always put it, “Richard IS Reliable” - words we still live by today.

In 1924, the family hardware store relocated to Ozone Park, Queens, and A.J. expanded the inventory. As the nation shifted from gas lighting to electrification in the 1920s, an array of home appliances began to surface. A.J. started to sell them, transforming P.C.’s hardware store into an appliance retailer. Clothes irons were the entry product, and the business later grew to include crystal radios, toasters, mixers, fans, waffle irons, meat grinders, and large appliances like washers and refrigerators. As A.J. once recalled, “The electric iron was the acorn that gave me my start and eventually opened the door to my growth into the electric appliance business.”

A.J. developed the basis of our motto, “We Service What We Sell,” during the Golden Age of Radio. In 1929, A.J. began stocking the hardware store with every available model of Zenith five-tube radios. These early radios were temperamental, and not many owners knew how to fix them when they had glitches. Factory service on radios and other home electronics was not good at the time, so A.J. made sure to learn the ins and outs of radio technology. He taught himself how to troubleshoot and repair the products he sold, and customers found reassurance in knowing they could call on him for help.

We quickly become known for standing behind our products by servicing what we sell, a unique aspect of our company. A.J. taught us the importance of remaining aware of our customers' needs and delivering exceptional service - a tradition we continue to uphold.

World War II imposed a detour on most manufacturing industries during the 1940s, but A.J. Richard never took his eye off the ball when it came to new technology. TVs were introduced at the New York World’s Fair in 1939 and had been manufactured before the start of World War II, but most production was halted until the war was over. High demand and low supply led to exorbitant prices. In fact, GE produced a direct-view TV model that cost $600 - that's over $7,000 today!

Recognizing TVs were a rare and hot commodity, A.J. decided to mount a 10” GE TV in the window of the Ozone Park showroom for the neighborhood to watch Fight Night boxing matches broadcasted from Madison Square Garden. Huge crowds gathered on the sidewalk, drawing attention to the business. Through A.J.’s skillful planning and solid relationships with his suppliers and customers, we were able to survive the war years, and A.J. immediately jumped on selling televisions as soon as production resumed.

P.C. retired in 1947, and we became a corporation with A.J. as the first president. A.J. continued his vision of giving customers superior service before, during, and after the sale. In fact, the first Warehouse and TV Service Department was opened in Ozone Park in 1948.

Long Island turned out to be quite a hot spot! In 1966, we opened our Plainview showroom and 50,000-square-foot corporate complex, centralizing our rapidly expanding Long Island presence. Things were going well in the stores, too; with TVs being a huge rage in the 50s and 60s, we were at the forefront with both selection and the ability to offer TV service.

Gary became president and CEO in 1980 and took our company through the next period of expansion. A.J. became the Board Chairman and continued to attend all of our showroom openings into his nineties. We expanded to 19 showrooms including Bayside, Rego Park, and Forest Hills, and added 50,000 square feet of warehouse space in Hauppauge.

Gregg Richard, Gary’s son, was named president of our company in 2004 and CEO in 2012. He carried on his family’s legacy by developing our service center in Farmingdale further to include more appliances, and add mattresses, growing the business while upholding our tradition of Honesty, Integrity, and Reliability. Peter C. Richard III, Peter’s son, was appointed vice president of the company. He currently oversees the operations of our three warehouses.

In order for our salespeople to deliver exceptional customer service, it’s important that they’re educated to be knowledgeable and helpful in their trade. That's why our A.J. Richard Learning Centers were developed under Gregg’s leadership.These Learning Centers include classrooms with stadium seating and the latest technologies. Hundreds of salespeople pass through every month for a special training program, and each new hire class spends a couple of weeks learning everything they need to know. Our first center was established in Farmingdale, NY in 2000, and we currently have four with the others in Brooklyn, NY, Carteret, NJ, and Bridgeport, CT.

In 2009, we relocated our New Jersey headquarters, warehouse, and service center to a 325,000-square foot facility in Carteret. We also opened six more superstores that same year, including our first in Connecticut.

Today, we have 65 showrooms located in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, as well as three distribution centers and two service centers. We are proud to offer an ever-growing selection of categories like appliances and housewares, TV and video, mattresses, home furnishings, home and portable audio, computers, video games, smart home, car audio, outdoor living, and more.

Our in-store experience is not to be missed. For technology enthusiasts, our premium television displays allow customers to experience the latest TV innovations and explore features and benefits. Customers can put each model to the test using a tablet interface to quickly switch to a live broadcast with the touch of a button, seeing the differences between televisions in real time.

We have also added interactive Smart Home Departments where customers can explore technology like smart hubs, Wi-Fi thermostats, video doorbells, and much more. We also offer an interactive Smart Appliance display with smart fridges, smart ovens and smart washers, allowing shoppers to see the full spectrum of how technology can improve everyday life. Our experts are always available to answer our customers’ questions and to help them find the perfect smart products for their home.

All of our showrooms include Mattress Galleries with top brands such as Stearns & Foster, Sealy, and Tempur-Pedic. Select locations also offer Mobile Installation Centers for expert installation of car audio and remote starts,and ourOutdoor Living departments showcase barbecue grills and furniture to deck out any outdoor space. Other specialty store offerings include Designer Appliance Centers, Apple Mac Computer Centers, and more.

Everything we do is to better serve our customers, and that means ensuring safety as well as convenience. Our website offers easy shopping and local delivery. For an even quicker experience, curbside pickup allows customers to shop online and make a contact-free pickup at our store the same day, providing a shopping experience that’s as fast as it is simple. Not only do we deliver and install, but we repair appliances and electronics as well. We provide our customers with peace of mind because we stand behind everything we sell.

Our website offers more than just shopping: The virtual A.J. Richard Learning Center, filled with informative videos and blogs, was created to share product knowledge and guide customers through their purchase decisions.

At the corporate headquarters, team members’ unique backgrounds and talents merge. Working together, developing ideas, and learning from each other is an important part of the business. In our showrooms, knowledgeable and helpful salespeople and managers continuously strive to uphold our core values of honesty, integrity and reliability.

Our mission is to make every customer’s experience a great one, and we know that with hard work comes rewarding and endless possibilities. Thank you for taking the time to share in our history, see you soon!