Name _____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________
Biography
The Second Industrial Revolution
Richard Warren Sears
WHY HE MADE HISTORY Richard
Warren Sears created the mail-order and
catalog company that bears his name.
As you read the biography below, think about
R. W. Sears’ strategy. How did he use his
catalog to grow his business?
The Second Industrial Revolution made it possible for
companies to manufacture more products at a lower
cost. With more goods available at lower prices,
consumer demand grew. Stores opened in large cities, making it easy for
people who lived there to shop for the items they wanted. But how could
companies market their goods to the many Americans living in small towns
and farming communities? With catalogs and mail-order businesses,
Montgomery Ward and Sears and Roebuck took big-city retail to the rural
communities of America.
Richard Warren Sears was born in 1863. As a young man, he became
famous for his ability to convince people to buy whatever he was selling.
From humble beginnings selling watches part-time, Sears became the head
of his own mail-order watch company. He was a millionaire before he was
30. A midwesterner, Sears retired to Iowa. However, he couldn’t seem to
settle into retirement.
Sears began to study Montgomery Ward’s large catalog and mail-order
business. Sears set out to build his business using many of Ward’s ideas.
Because Sears bought products in large quantities directly from the
manufacturers, he was able to offer his customers lower prices and a large
selection. But Sears’ approach to marketing and customer service are what
ultimately set him apart from the competition.
In 1893, with partner Alvah Curtis Roebuck, Sears produced a mailorder catalog of almost 200 pages. The next year the Sears Roebuck
catalog was 500 pages and offered thousands of items, from women’s hats
to farm implements. The 1908 Sears Roebuck catalog offered over 100,000
items. Sears wrote advertising and product descriptions himself.
In marketing his products, Sears spoke directly to the concerns of his
customers. His advertising spoke the language of midwestern small-town
and farm people. People who mistrusted big-city values connected with
Sears. Sears offered money-back guarantees and no-down-payment plans.
He also allowed returns. If people couldn’t find what they wanted in the
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7
The Second Industrial Revolution
The Granger Collection, New York
1863–1914
Name _____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________
Biography
The Second Industrial Revolution
catalog, Sears tried to find and supply it for them. If customers had trouble
filling out the order form, they were encouraged to simply list the items
they wanted. At headquarters in Chicago, Sears employed letter-writers to
keep up correspondence with his far-flung customers.
The Sears and Roebuck catalog became wildly popular. In response,
competitors, particularly small-town merchants, attacked Richard Sears
personally, spreading rumors to tarnish the company’s image. They even
held catalog burnings.
When Sears clashed with a business partner in 1908, he quit the
business. After retirement Sears sold his company stock. He died in 1914, a
millionaire many times over. Today, the store that bears his name
continues to be a force in the world of retailing.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
1. Explain How did Sears beat his competition in the mail-order business?
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2. Analyze What made the Sears Roebuck catalog so popular?
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ACTIVITY
Try to locate a copy of an early Sears and Roebuck catalog. Compare the
early catalogs with the print and online catalogs produced by the company
today. How are these current catalogs similar to the first catalogs? How are
they different? Make a chart featuring specific illustrations to compare and
contrast the catalogs.
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8
The Second Industrial Revolution