Two Storied Companies - One Family
The Bradford Exchange and Hammacher Schlemmer—Our Shared Values Make Us Stronger Together
Back in 1973, even a visionary like J. Roderick MacArthur couldn’t have imagined what The Bradford Exchange would become today. His idea was simple enough, providing a way for people to affordably enjoy a variety of artwork that expressed what they were passionate about. For many years that idea took the form of collector’s plates, but times and tastes change quickly and we continue to change right along with them. In 1980, Hammacher Schlemmer, the world’s longest and most successful catalog company, was acquired by the Bradford Exchange, thus The Bradford Hammacher Group was born.
Today we have a broad portfolio of exciting products we develop, find, and market to celebrate the many passions of our customers. New concepts are emerging all the time and creativity is always king. From the very beginning, our Principles, our Vision, and our Values have allowed us to remain at the forefront of an exciting, ever-changing marketplace. J. Roderick MacArthur probably wouldn’t recognize his company today—but he’d clearly see that the ideas and the ideals he founded it upon are still thriving.
In 2013, our employees became owners through the formation of our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Each of us has a personal stake in the success of our company. We share a belief that to succeed we have to be better than great, we have to be better than what’s expected, and that gives us even more desire to do whatever it takes to make our customers, business partners, and employees happy. Together, we work hard each day to make sure that every time our customers interact with one of our brands, they will find something that they’ve never seen before, something they won’t find anywhere else, something that surprises and delights them.