Book I recently finished on the history of Sears (up thru the late 7os). Some interesting Sears trivia in here.. I didn't realize Sears originated as a mail order business. Richard Sears started selling watches thru the mail to Midwestern farmers. Guess they were generally isolated from (non-essential) retail items, so the mail order was convenient. Also never knew that Allstate Insurance was created (& for a long time administered) by Sears. Biographies on the secession of Sears pioneers, details on their (once great) catalog ordering/packing process.
Growing up, I liked going thru Sears' Christmas catalogs, picking out NFL gear.. It's a shame Sears didn't comprehend the imminent online marketplace. They had a sophisticated shipping network (& in some respects were the original Amazon), but they didn't understand (or acknowledge) the retail future. This book was researched & published when Sears was still @ the top of the game. At the end of the book a U of Oklahoma business professor is quoted as saying Sears has an '..extraordinary track record in reprogramming itself to adapt to change.' True for a 100 years, but an incidental pincer movement from Wal*Mart & Amazon ate Sears up.
Pembroke Mall Sears, circa 1960s.
* Nat Rrain Cast Portrait:
(Front to back, left to right: Creeps, Nathaniel, Nat, Sharpie, Pudgy Nauseous, Texas Weiner Man, Morgan Pepper, Laura Harell, Martin Hess, Billy, Jon-Lycanthropus Buffinus Neanderthalus, Frankie, Edgar Allen Toe, the Golden Shower.)
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