Richard Sears
"Sears used folksy charm, fantastical images, sensational copy and unbeatable prices on an unlimited selection of goods, while inadvertently preaching the attributes of modernity and consumer culture to a region that grew to trust him like no other because he explained this new world in a simple, down home language that was easy for the most elementary reader to understand."
- Jerry R. Hancock, Jr., professor at Georgia State University
- Jerry R. Hancock, Jr., professor at Georgia State University
Early Life
Richard Sears was born in 1863 in Minnesota. In 1880, he worked as a telegraph operator for the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway, later becoming a station agent in Redwood Falls, Minnesota.
In 1886, the railroad received a large shipment of unwanted watches from a Chicago jeweler. Sears purchased them, sold the watches for a considerable profit, then ordered more for resale. He moved to Minneapolis to devote more time his company, which he called the R. W. Sears Watch Company. He began to advertise in the newspaper at the beginning of 1887 and was so successful that his company outgrew Minneapolis, causing him to move to Chicago.
In 1886, the railroad received a large shipment of unwanted watches from a Chicago jeweler. Sears purchased them, sold the watches for a considerable profit, then ordered more for resale. He moved to Minneapolis to devote more time his company, which he called the R. W. Sears Watch Company. He began to advertise in the newspaper at the beginning of 1887 and was so successful that his company outgrew Minneapolis, causing him to move to Chicago.
"We warrant every American watch sold by us, with fair usage, an accurate time keeper for six years – during which time, under our written guarantee we are compelled to keep it in perfect order free of charge."
- Richard W. Sears
Founding the Company
On April 1, 1893, Sears ran an ad in the Chicago Daily News that caught the eye of a young man named Alvah Roebuck.
"WANTED: Watchmaker with reference who can furnish tools. State age, experience and salary required. Address T39, Daily News."
Roebuck applied for the job, and Sears hired him. Thus began the legacy of Sears, Roebuck and Company, which carries on to this day.
“Richard Sears displayed an uncanny knack for writing folksy, down-to-earth, one-person-to-another advertising copy that appealed strongly to rural, small town America.” "If you buy a good watch you will always be satisfied, and at our prices a good watch will influence the sale of another good watch; and that's our motto: Make a Watch, Sell a Watch."
-Richard W. Sears |
The Mail-Order Catalog
"The catalog was the Internet of the day. Sears was Amazon." |
Sears, Roebuck and Company soon developed a reputation for high quality products and customer satisfaction. By 1895, the company was producing a 532-page catalog that contained the largest variety of items in America.
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Sears had excellent writing talents and marketing abilities. He took a personal approach in his advertisements, speaking directly to rural communities, persuading them to purchase by mail-order. Sears knew what the rural customer needed and his experience working with the railroad enabled him to ship merchandise to remote areas.
"Sears had a deep, intuitive feel for the commercial needs and aspirations of the people of rural America... and [was] a genius for writing catalogue and advertising copy that awakened those needs and aspirations." Sears' Legacy |
In 1908, Richard Sears resigned from Sears, Roebuck and Company. However, his legacy continued in the words, descriptions, and product offerings found in the Sears catalog. He left behind an enduring legacy of success in the highly competitive world of retailing. His talent for marketing enabled the company to reach customers nationwide.
“Which company do you think has the most stores, the most customers, the most sales, the most profits – and at the same time is the most loved, the most far-flung, the most legendary, the most American institution ever to charge two bucks for a bottle of snake oil? The answer, of course, is Sears Roebuck." |
Rachel Keifer, Emily McGovern, and Alayna Stepp
Word Count: 1199 |
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