Julian Richer you are a genious (Richer Sounds)

Member Name: forrest

Product:	Richer Sounds
Date:	10/07/01 (815 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, Friendly, Knowledgable staff

Disadvantages: Not enough of them, No web site

A few years ago when I didnt work in London I was constatly jealous of my mate who was buying all this amplifiers, DVD players, minidisc players for what I called "off the back of lorry prices". He mentioned the shop was "Richer Sounds" so when I moved jobs to the centre of London I sought out the holy grail of Richer Sounds, set up by Julian Richer.

My first impression when I approached the store by Liverpool Street station..I must have the wrong place here. The shop front is tiny, it's down a back road with no flashy sign calling you in. Get inside and the place is stacked with Hi-Fi separates and a box of off cut cables as well as being stacked out with people.

Being the coward I am I grabbed a copy of their magazine (free) and headed straight back out the door. The magazine is only about a dozen pages long and is jam packed with products just like the shop.

As I read some of the tiny articles that accompany the product I found myself smiling at the down to earth, frienly, NON in your face approach to their products. Then I looked at the prices £10 off here, £50 off there, £75 off another one and they covered everything:
Amplifiers (analogue and Digital), Receivers, cassette decks (single and double), Minidisc players / recorders (portable and hi-fi), Speakers, speaker stands, Speaker cables, DJ equipment, Home cinima, DVD players, cassettes, minidics. I couldnt believe the extent and range of the products, not to mention the prices being cheaper than "Trade Selling Price (TSP)".

There are a number of free fact sheets that are displayed in the shop for the customer to take, giving advice on the set up, purchase and budget considerations that are normally overlooked. One of them persuaded me to make my first purchase.....speaker wire. I have had a £1,000 stereo for 4 years using the manufacturers cable. The fact sheet says to allow 10% of the purchase price for cable, I went in expecting t
o pay £100. With guidance, not sales pitch, I spent £40 on cable and heard what I had been missing.

Since first going in the shop, I have been back a number of times and is the first port of call when I want anything like the items listed above. The shop staff are great, they give you the time to look, the chance to ask "dumb" questions and the pleasure of their experience. I have never been forced in to a purchase, or felt that I was being watched as I browsed the shop.

The reason that "Richer" are cheaper is because they deal direct and not through suppliers. Some of their products are by names that to the less cultures are unknown, or very new to the market but don't let that put you off, anyway they have the usual SONY, Kenwood....

Whenever you buy something from "Richer" you get a questionaire with your receipt asking about half a dozen questions where you score the experience. These go to Julian for review and you have the chance to win £20 in the monthly draw.

Finally I must mention their "Cover Policy"...£20 for three years (including manufacturers year). This gives you parts and labour, replacement model, spare machine during repair and what really impressed me when I took the cover on a DVD player, dont use the cover bring the player back to the shop an ddepending on condition, original packaging money off against the purchase of a new machine.

All in all the only thing that Richer sounds hasn't got is a web site - Informed by x_elf_x, that there is a web site (see comments) Thanks. The shops are light hearted with free tea, coffee, ice cream, lollipops, umbrella if it's raining. Don't be put off with initial looks that the place is cheap and you wont get the best service, I have not found service better anywhere else.

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