Is Landry & Arcari a Reputable Place to Buy Oriental Rugs?

Landry & Arcari is a family-owned oriental rug and carpet retailer that has operated since 1938, according to the company's own site. That long history, combined with published customer testimonials and endorsements from interior designers, supports treating it as an established, credible option—especially for buyers in New England who want to see rugs in person before purchasing. The main caveat: the evidence available is the retailer's own marketing content, so it confirms longevity and stated customer satisfaction but does not independently verify pricing competitiveness or post-sale service.

What the Business Says About Itself

The site describes Landry & Arcari as "family owned since 1938" and positions itself as offering "the largest selection of oriental rugs & carpet in New England." It operates showrooms and also sells online. These are the retailer's claims, not third-party ratings, but a multi-generation family business in a niche category is a meaningful signal—rug retail is capital-intensive and reputation-driven, so survival across decades is difficult without repeat and referral business.

What Customer Testimonials Show

The site publishes several customer accounts that speak to specific purchase experiences:

• Cheryl describes buying a silk rug for a Boston condo, then returning to buy two more rugs for a Connecticut home after receiving a postcard about a tent sale—a pattern of repeat purchase that suggests satisfaction with both product and service.
• Loretta, an interior designer, says she shops at many rug retailers for specific pieces and that "no one out there compares to this store and their wonderful Sales associates," naming two staff members.
• Joan references purchases made over the past year (the excerpt is cut off).

These are curated testimonials on the retailer's own site, so read them as indicative rather than conclusive. Still, the designer endorsement is the most useful signal here: designers buy frequently, compare across stores, and care about accuracy of descriptions and follow-through.

How to Evaluate It for Your Own Purchase

Use the following checks before committing, whether you visit a showroom or buy online:

1. Confirm the specific rug's details in writing. For handwoven pieces, ask for origin, knot type, materials (wool, silk, blend), exact dimensions, and condition if vintage or antique. The site lists named pieces with prices—for example, a Samarkand Handwoven Tribal Rug at $3,600, a Gabbeh Handwoven Tribal Rug at $1,100—so use those listings as a starting point for questions.
2. Ask about the return policy and shipping terms for online orders, since the site does not state them in the available content. Do not assume free shipping or free returns.
3. Visit a showroom if you are local. Rugs are one of the hardest categories to buy from photos: color, pile height, and scale read differently in person. The site emphasizes showroom visits, and for a purchase in the thousands of dollars, an in-person look is worth the trip.
4. Compare against at least one other source for the same style and size—auction results, other dealers, or estate sales—so you can judge whether the price reflects the piece.
5. Ask about services such as rug pads, cleaning, repair, or in-home trials, and get any promises in writing.

Who This Suits—and Who Should Look Elsewhere

Landry & Arcari fits buyers who want a broad, curated selection of handwoven, vintage, and antique-style rugs, value dealing with an established family business, and are close enough to New England to visit a showroom. It is a weaker fit for buyers who need the lowest possible price, want extensive independent reviews before buying, or require clear published policies on returns and shipping before they will engage—in those cases, request the policies directly first, or compare with dealers who publish them.