Julian Richer (born 1959) is a prominent British retailer, best known as the founder and 100% shareholder of Richer Sounds, the UK’s biggest hi-fi retailer. He is also the owner of EmpireDirect.co.uk. Richer has gained a reputation for his motivational style of management and his charitable activities.
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Richer's business career started at the age of 14 while he was still at school at Clifton College, Bristol, and he opened his first shop in London Bridge aged 19. This store holds the Guinness record for the highest sales per square foot of any retail outlet in the world and the company has now grown to over 50 stores across the UK.
He is also a 51% shareholder of Audio Partnership, an electronics company designing, commissioning and distributing electronics to over 50 countries.
Richer developed his activities as a motivational adviser, and in the past advised some of the country’s largest organisations at chief executive level on staff motivation, customer service, cultural change, communications and suggestion schemes, although now he has stepped back from this role. His book, The Richer Way, is now in its fifth edition and was the best selling business book at WH Smith's when it was published in November 1995. He published his second book, Richer on Leadership, in January 1999.
Although not keen on public speaking, he was made the youngest ever Business Communicator of the Year for 1995. He was also awarded Honorary Doctorates in Business Administration from Kingston University in January 2002 and from Bournemouth University in 2003.
His philanthropic interests include his Charity Foundation, and he also has a policy that Richer Sounds gives 15% of its profits to charity. He was the first Patron of The Big Issue Foundation, is patron of Irwell Valley Housing Association, Visit Yorkshire and is a Vice President of the RSPCA. From 1998 until 2006 he was a director of Duchy Originals, the Prince of Wales’ charitable trading company, and received an LVO (Lieutenant of the Royal Victoria Order) in 2007 in recognition of his work for them. He is the founder and a trustee of ACTS 435, a national initiative to help those in need, which was launched successfully at the York Synod by The Archbishop of York Dr. John Sentamu, in June 2010. He is particularly interested and active in the areas of human rights and animal welfare.
He is a Governor of Clifton College, his old school, despite his relatively poor academic performance whilst a pupil there.
He has been married to his wife Rosie since 1982. In his spare time he enjoys drumming in his own jazz band which has a regular slot in a busy Yorkshire pub, travelling around Europe, chairing a regular Café Philo discussion group and hosting a weekly bible study session for friends.