Buying a major appliance has never been a ton of fun.
But two entrepreneurs have come up with a different approach. Pirch is a new kind of retailer that lets you bake artisanal pizza in its ovens and flush its fancy toilets.
Today, the chain of seven Pirch stores across the country sells products for indoor and outdoor kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and floor care. It lets you interact with them on a personal level, while providing a staff of carefully trained salespeople, plus installation and service options. Pirch encourages customers to stop in and browse to see what’s available, not just rush in when their washing machine has died and they are in panic to replace it.
The concept was hatched in San Diego in 2009 when Jeffery Sears and Jim Stuart, two seasoned business executives and entrepreneurs, experienced bad karma trying to design kitchens and bathrooms as part of remodeling and home-building efforts. They decided there had to be a better way to shell out big bucks on large-appliance and plumbing purchases that have so much to do with function, convenience and family logistics in a home.
Pirch stores aren’t buried in gritty industrial parks; you’ll find them in high-end shopping emporiums next to Tiffany & Co. or Nordstrom.
The showroom at Pirch, where you can try out everything, and have the products demonstrated by experts. (Mark A. Steele)
The eighth Pirch opens in March alongside a Neiman Marcus at the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J.; a Manhattan location, in SoHo, is slated for 2016. (Store executives are on the hunt for a Washington area site.) Inside Pirch, shoppers are greeted by a barista who will whip up a latte and put you in touch with an employee if you want help navigating the merchandise. Upscale brands such as Fisher & Paykel, Miele, Franke, La Cornue, Toto and Sub-Zero are displayed to show off the latest trends and materials. If you go to the ladies’ room, you’ll be able to test drive a Kohler toilet that has adjustable seat temperature and warm-water cleansing. Chefs will show you how to operate the ranges or bake you some gourmet mac and cheese. You can test the aromatherapy shower yourself in private — bathing suit optional.
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