Our history
1880, beginning of the Richard house
In 1880, Jean Richard (originally from Luxembourg) & Euphrasie Hollenfeltz settled in Florenville and created the store "La Ménagère" there in the "Grand' rue", currently Place Albert Ier.
2nd generation
Their youngest son: Edgard Richard settles next to them and resolutely launches into the repair of bicycles and motorcycles. When his father died in 1914, he took over "La Ménagère" to turn it into a hardware store.
Business Development
A fine sleuth, he also undertakes the assembly and manufacture of cookers. Thanks to his great rigor and true professionalism, he was a huge success at the Charleville-Mézières fair, where he sold up to 105 cookers in a single day. But soon the customs duties weigh heavily on the results of the company. His sharp mind will quickly find a solution to this problem: he brings in the cookers in spare parts in order to reassemble them in his workshop in "Deux-Villes" just beyond the French border.
The furniture sale has arrived
Not content with his accomplishments, he added a hardware store in Carignan to his list. Fernand, Edgard's eldest son, receives this business as a dowry. Following the example of the spirit of initiative of his father, Fernand Richard extends his activities to the sale of small pieces of furniture.
Housewife
As for Edgard's second son, Edmond Richard, he continues and amplifies the activity of the company in "Deux-Villes". In this place, he shares in solidarity the house with his workers. But on the death of his father Edmond put an end to the company in "Deux-Villes" and devoted all his energy to the extension of the hardware store in Florenville.
Who thinks furniture, thinks Richard
Fourteen years later, alongside his wife Léa Richard, he undertakes with strength and determination the construction of a brand new hardware store. His flair and keen business sense led him to the sale of multiple products and more specifically to the launch of the sale of small furniture. In 1965, faced with the smallness of the store and with the aim of offering customers an ever greater choice, they planned to erect a new commercial space of more than 2500 m² along the road to Bouillon: "The galleries Richard furniture” with the striking slogan “Who thinks furniture, thinks Richard”.
Furnish your life, furnish yourself for life
In 1978 Béatrice Richard, daughter of Edmond and Léa Richard, assisted by her husband Jean-Marie Hardy, took over the "Galeries". A new start, new sign "Meubles Richard" and new slogan "Furnish your life, furnish yourself for life", a premonitory statement of a search for quality, beauty and diversity.
5,500 m² of quality furniture
Entrepreneurial spirit, competence and friendliness lead directly to success and to the doubling of the commercial surface (5500 m²). Following the death of his wife, Béatrice, Jean-Marie Hardy courageously takes over the management of the store. He surrounds himself with competent people with a sense of beauty, quality and hospitality. Thus he safeguards this magnificent jewel. Since January 2004, Jean-Marie Hardy has integrated his current partner Isabelle Ronjon into his team. The latter was able to give a more design impulse to the store with European-made furniture in various styles. Together, they pursue a dream that has become big.