[March 19, 2009]

P.C. Richard & Son to expand into Norwalk

(Hour, The (Norwalk, CT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Mar. 19--NORWALK -- Stanley M. Seligson Properties did not have to worry for long about what would become of the 33,000 square feet of retail space left vacant with the liquidation and subsequent closure of Circuit City on Connecticut Avenue.

P.C. Richard & Son is spreading its roots into Connecticut and Norwalk will be the state's first location for the appliance and electronics store. The Farmingdale, N.Y.-based retail giant will open at 444 Connecticut Ave., early this summer, according to P.C. Richard & Son President Gregg Richard.

"We saw a real opportunity with Circuit City going out of business," Richard told The Hour on Wednesday. "We've been thinking about Connecticut for a while. This could be a great market for us with the appliances, electronics and services we provide. It took us 99 years to get to Connecticut, but we're there." P.C. Richard & Son was founded in 1909 as a lone hardware store in the Bensonhurst area of Brooklyn. Now in its fourth generation, it remains a family-owned business. It has grown tremendously from its humble roots, however, and now boasts 52 stores, predominately in the New York City area and Long Island.

"Hopefully this will be the first of many in Connecticut," Richard said. "We like to dominate the markets we are in." Stanley Seligson, chairman and CEO of Stanley M. Seligson Properties, said the addition of P.C. Richard & Son will provide a much-needed boost to the local economy. Seligson Properties owns the plaza at 444 Connecticut Ave., which also includes a large Sports Authority store.

"This deal highlights the fact that, even in this tough economy, great retailers like P.C. Richard & Son are actively opening stores in preferred and profitable markets like Norwalk," Seligson said in a release. "For Fairfield County residents, the new store on Connecticut Avenue will represent a great shopping convenience as well as a great addition to the local economy." Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia added: "P.C. Richard & Son is a great company and they are coming to a great location to do business. This store opening is meaningful to our city and it highlights the fact that Norwalk is a premier retail destination".

Richard said the Norwalk store will employ about 50 people. He added that P.C. Richard & Son has grown tremendously, but it is still family owned and operated, and retains a local feel.

"It's the feeling of keeping money local," he said. "We have supported our local communities for the last 100 years and we will continue to do that." Richard said he is not intimidated by the Best Buy location around the corner.

"We love it. We have locations where we are right next door," Richard said. "We're a different company. The success of P.C. Richard & Son is based on the service we give our customers. We have a huge display of appliances and electronics, and knowledgeable and friendly service. Deliveries and installations are done with our own people. Service is done with our own employees. We have lots of competitors. They come and they go. We're no stranger to competition and we're not afraid of it." On the Web: www.seligsonproperties.com www.pcrichardandson.com To see more of The Hour or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.thehour.com/.

Copyright (c) 2009, The Hour, Norwalk, Conn.

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