Urbanization

During the latter half of the 19^th century, America experienced rapid urbanization. Earlier a very small population was based in urban cities, and most of the population was rural, but several factors led to urbanization which had an impact on society. The industrial revolution changed the face of the country from an agricultural country to a commercial industrial powerhouse. As industries developed, many agricultural machinery was formed which required less labor on the farms which caused a lot of population to shift from the rural farms to urban areas.

In large cities, shopping for luxury goods became a pass time experience for the rich and wealthy, elaborate shops “palaces of consumption,” made shopping an exciting experience for the customers. This experience was only an urban phenomenon, however mass merchandising reached into the rural areas with the advent of the mail-order catalog. (page 389 – Created Equal)

Montgomery Ward started the world’s first mail-order catalog business in 1872. Before the mail-order catalog customers were forced to buy what they would get at the general stores, which was limited. The first mail-order catalog in had 162 items, which included novelties like hoop skirts, grain bags, etc. By 1883 this catalog had grown into 240 pages long containing thousands of items. One of Ward’s earliest rival was Richard Sears. Together with Alvah Roebuck Sears, Roebuck & Co. was created in 1892 and they mailed their first catalog in 1893. This business started out as a watch business but later included products extending from clothing to housing. Sears had become so huge that time that it was alone responsible for 1% of United States Gross National Product. Another famous entrepreneur was Hammacher Schlemmer. He used to a run a hardware store in New York and the first mail-order catalog was sent by him in 1881. In the early 1900’s there were no service stations so the catalog used to offer a Motorist Touring Kit so that drivers could fix their flat tires and other small repairs. Other companies which were formed included J.C Penny, Abercrombie and Fitch, Collin Street Bakery and many more. However many of these did not provide mail-order catalog till the early to mid 20^th century. With the introduction of several other companies providing mail-order catalogs, the mail-order catalog rose to become a $100 billion industry.

Source:

Cherry, Robin. Catalog: an illustrated history of mail-order shopping. Illustrated. Princeton Architectural Press, 2008. 

written by....Kevin K.