Impact
"Sear was pure salesman and his genius was in selling by mail. But it would take Rosenwald's business skills to transform the business so that it could grow. Under Sears, it would have not been able to develop into a major national company. Under Rosenwald, it could grow by using sound and innovative business practices. Wood was less of an innovator than either of his predecessors. He was able to maintain and expand the growth that had begun under Sears and greatly expanded under Rosenwald. Sears was the dreamer, Rosenwald was the business genius, Wood was the corporate chief."
- Gordon L. Weil, author of "Sears, Roebuck, U.S.A." (quote from student-conducted interview)
- Gordon L. Weil, author of "Sears, Roebuck, U.S.A." (quote from student-conducted interview)
James Worthy said that Richard Sears "was one of the great promotional geniuses in American business history." He developed his watch business into the largest and best known mail-order company in the world. He was an enthusiastic and innovative promoter, placing a high value on customer service through money-back guarantees, competitive pricing, return policies, and incentives, such as coupons. He knew the importance of customer loyalty, stating in ads, "We Can’t Afford to Lose a Customer.” In addition to founding and promoting the company, he chose skilled leaders with whom he could share his success.
"I don’t think that anyone working for Sears today and I am talking about the younger people that they ever have a full realization just what Sears, Roebuck means to the customers and all that. Particularly the older customers. The faith that people had in Sears, Roebuck. It is almost unbelievable." |
So, which of the leaders of the Sears, Roebuck and Company had the greatest impact? Was it Richard Sears, with his enthusiasm and sensational business tactics? Was it Julius Rosenwald, with his shrewd and resourceful ways? Or, was it Robert Wood, who brought the company into the realm of retail stores? Perhaps it was all three. Their individual talents and personal interests paved the way for the company's success. The Sears company changed American retail drastically. It started as a mail-order catalog with many rural customers, innovated the way farmers shopped, and grew to become a symbol of America.
"The reason for the company’s exceptional success is a result of the Barnum-esque business tactics of company founder Richard Sears and his successors, philanthropist Julius Rosenwald and General Robert E. Wood. These men used a much more personal approach to business and simply incorporated 'existing cultural patterns' into the company’s marketing strategies. Unlike other merchants and social reformers of the time, Sears, Rosenwald and Wood nurtured the company’s strong southern customer base by incorporating business techniques that had regional appeal and a familiar cultural flavor."
- Jerry R. Hancock, Jr., professor at Georgia State University
The Sears and Roebuck catalog foreshadowed the creation of online supplies companies such as Amazon. To this day, Sears, Roebuck and Company's imprint on retailing in America lives on.
Rachel Keifer, Emily McGovern, and Alayna Stepp
Word Count: 1199 |
Proudly powered by Weebly