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'Lafayette Radio' was a radio manufacturer and retailer based in Syosset, New York. The company sold radio sets, amateur radio equipment, citizen's band (CB) radios, and other communications equipment, as well as electronic components and even tools, through retail outlets as well as by mail-order.

Contents

History

Locations

Products

History

Established in the 20s, Lafayette Radio Electronics (LRE) thriving mail-order catalog business in electronic components was a boon to the amateur radio operators and electronic hobbyist located in areas where such components were not available in local retail outlets. Lafayette's main competitors were Radio Shack, Allied Radio, Heathkit, and "mom and pop" (independent) radio dealers throughout the United States.
Until the 1960s, many independent retailers in some markets became Lafayette "affiliates", which were displaced when the company expanded. One affiliate example was Purchase Radio Electronics in Buffalo, NY. Lafayette opened its first company store in Buffalo around 1968 on Sheridan Drive down the block from the Heathkit store, added a second in West Seneca in 1972 and a third around 1976. Stores were supported from headquarters at 111 Jericho Turnpike in Syosset, NY and a warehouse in Hauppauge, NY. A limited selection of product was stocked, with full access to a catalog with a wide variety of parts, tubes, cameras, musical instruments, kits, gadgets and branded gear that could be ordered and delivered through the local store. The company made major investments in "sound rooms" to demonstrate hi-fi equipment, using custom switch panels and acoustic treatments in an attempt to duplicate a home listening environment and offer fair comparison with an assortment of branded hi-fi gear.
Lafayette advertised very heavily in all of the major U.S. consumer electronics magazines of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly Stereo Review, High Fidelity (magazine), Audio magazine, Popular Mechanics, and Popular Electronics, among others. A mail-in coupon entitled customers to a free 400-page catalog filled with descriptions of vast quantities of electronic gear, including microphones, tape recorders, speakers, and other components. While the catalog heavily-promoted their own branded products, Lafayette also carried models from many other hi-fi manufacturers of the era, including Marantz, Fisher, Pioneer, AR, Dynaco, KLH, Wharfedale, Bozak, BIC, Garrard, Dual, TEAC, Akai, Shure, Pickering, Electro-Voice, JVC, Panasonic, Sony and others. The catalogs and advertising helped promote the concept of high-fidelity sound to many music fans and audiophiles, some of whom lived many miles away from electronics stores, during a time when only the largest urban areas had dedicated "stereo" stores. Lafayette was the place to test TV vacuum tubes, when folks actually serviced their own televisions.
Lafayette was quick to jump on industry trends, embracing first open reel tape recorders and later 8-track cartridge recorders and compact cassette recorders, along with an amazing array of gimmicks, supplies, and accessories. During the mid-1970s, the company was one of few places one could actually experience four channel ("quadraphonic") sound. Unfortunately, lack of a single industry standard (Columbia SQ vs. JVC's CD-4 and Sansui's QS) dampened sales, and 4-channel fizzled by 1976.
Managers were rewarded for maximizing gross profit margins and inventory "turns", which led to frequent out-of-stock situations, often remedied by frequent cross-town inter-store transfers. Each store had a repair shop on site with a part-time technician. Stores ranged in size from 2000 to 5000 square feet.
By the late 1970s, Lafayette expanded to major markets across the country, struggling to compete with Radio Shack, who had purchased rival Allied Electronics around 1970. Stretched thin, the company stumbled badly when the FCC authorized a new Citizens Band ("CB") spectrum with 40 channels. The catch? All older CB radios with 23 channels (or less) could not be legally sold at retail after a certain date. Lafayette's buyers had firm commitments to accept delivery of many thousands of the older design units, but they were not able to liquidate the inventory without taking a serious loss. At one point, just before the cutoff date, any and every CB radio was sold for under $40. Not long after, employees were told the banks had called the line of credit the company needed to ride out the slower season after the holidays, and a rapid liquidation ensued.
With less than 100 stores, far fewer than the aggressively expanding Radio Shack's thousands of local outlets, Lafayette Radio remained more of a dedicated enthusiasts' store than a mass marketer. Another blow to the company was the advent of electronics retailers relying on aggressive marketing techniques and competitive pricing in the late 1970s. Many experienced managers departed. Formerly a national chain, the remaining Lafayette stores in the state of New York closed by the end of 1981.
Some local Lafayette stores remained open until 1981. For example, the Long Branch, New Jersey, store finally closed in the Fall of 1981. Unsold inventory was literally shovelled into dumpsters overnight to vacate the store. One store in the Trenton, NJ area went on independently to become known as "Laraco Electronics". Laraco had one retail location that served the area on Business Route 1 in Lawrenceville, NJ until its closing in late 2002. In the final years of Laraco Electronics existence they were also an internet retailer found at www.laracoelectronics.com and a seller on ebay, and Amazon.
Several Lafayette stores were purchased by Circuit City of Richmond, VA. In order to keep the Lafayette name, which was popular in New York, Circuit City changed the store names to "Lafayette-Circuit City". However, these store locations were much smaller than a standard Circuit City, and did not carry major appliances, which Circuit City carried at the time. The stores were eventually closed as Circuit City left the New York Market (only to return later). The Syosset repair center was kept open a year after the last store closing to handle warranty coverage. Lafayette-Circuit City used the phrase "no haggling" in its ad campaign, which featured celebrities such as Don King, in trying to demonstrate that the lowet price was always posted, unlike many competitors in where you would have to bargain with the sales person for a lower price. This approach, however, did not work, and Lafayette-Circuit City fell due to competition from other New York area electronic retailers such as Newmark and Lewis, Trader Horn, The Wiz, Crazy Eddie and PC Richard. Out of those, PC Richard is the only store still operating.

Locations

Stamford,Connecticut-Later Trim Fashions,Now CVS
NY: NYC & Long Island metro, Buffalo (Amherst, West Seneca, Eastern Hills), Rochester (Irondequoit, Greece, Pittsford), Syracuse (E.Syracuse)
OH: Cleveland (Parma Heights, North Olmstead, Mentor, Warrensville Heights), Toledo, Columbus, Cincinnati
MA: Boston metro area
CT: W. Hartford, Stamford
MD: Baltimore metro area
IL: Chicago metro area

Products

Most of Lafayette's models were not the best performers nor were they the worst performers. Products ranged from stereos to two-way radios for Hams and CBers, and shortwave listeners. Many were dedicated types with special functions, such as VHF receivers for police and fire channels built into a CB radio. A complete model line included many models and brand names to choose from for just about any purpose, as opposed to just a few. The product line also covered other manufacturers' products through seasonal catalogs. The company's best selling products were often shortwave receivers, parts, and portable radios. In the 1960s, most Lafayette brand radios were rebranded Trio-Kenwood sets, which were of moderate performance and build quality. A significant share of 60's and 70's vintage Lafayette hi-fi gear was manufactured by a Japanese subcontractor named "Planet Research". "Criterion" brand speakers were built by several offshore and some domestic assemblers. Science kits were popular. One product of interest from Lafayette Radio Corporation was a small Atom Smasher (van de Graaff generator), Model F-371. The address for this product was listed as 165-08 Liberty Ave., Jamaica 33, N.Y.
Lafayette also sold a variety of electronic musical equipment made by different manufacturers. There were solid-body and hollow-body electric guitars, probably made by Teisco or Harmony. Microphones, amplifiers, and various electronic effects such as reverbs were available.
One of the most famous effects that Lafayette sold was the Uni-Vibe, used by many musicians, most notably Jimi Hendrix. Robin Trower, Stevie Ray Vaughan and others later used the effect to emulate Hendrix's sounds and achieve new ones of their own.