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NATIONAL MAIL ORDER CATALOG DAY
What was once one of the most popular ways of shopping is remembered each year on August 18th as it is National Mail Order Catalog Day.
This day marks the anniversary of the first Montgomery Wards mail order catalog. On this day in 1872, Aaron Montgomery Ward of Chicago produced a catalog designed for direct order via mail. He aimed to remove the middleman from the business of buying and selling. As a result, he also drastically lowered prices.
The very first catalog consisted of an 8 by 12-inch single sheet of paper. On it, Ward included the merchandise for sale, price list, and ordering instructions. Before long, the Montgomery Wards single-page list of products grew into a 540 page illustrated book selling over 20,000 items.
It didn’t take long for enterprising merchants to copy Montgomery Wards’ idea. One notable merchant, Richard Warren Sears, mailed his catalog in 1896. As others entered the field, catalog sales grew. By 1971, catalog sales of major United States firms exceeded more than $250 million in postal revenue.
It’s interesting to note, according to the National Mail Order Association, Aaron Montgomery Ward wasn’t the first to conceive of the mail order catalog. In the United States. Benjamin Franklin may have formulated the first basic mail order concept. He produced a catalog to sell scientific and academic books. Franklin also receives credit for offering the first mail-order guarantee: “Those persons who live remote, by sending their orders and money to B. Franklin may depend on the same justice as if present.”
Today, mail order catalogs have been replaced with internet websites. Additionally, the term “mail-order” has been replaced with the term “online shopping.”
HOW TO OBSERVE #MailOrderCatalogDay
While our catalogs are digital these days, which ones are your favorites? Nearly every retail business has an online presence and with that, their catalog of products grows, varies, and changes. It’s an excellent day to support your small online business by shopping with them, sharing their products, or giving them a review. Is there a product you wish they’d carry? Let them know! Many retailers seek customer feedback to improve their business. What are some of you’re favorite purchases from a mail-order catalog (paper or digital)? Let us know, using #MailOrderCatalogDay to post on social media.
I do remember looking forward to both Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs growing up. You could go through them and dream... and of course you could also cut out the pieces and make paperdoll families, etc. (that probably really dates me). Now basically we get most catalogs around Christmas... the NM catalog is always good for a laugh. Right now King Arthur's (food) catalog is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteI used to fold over the corners of the pages I wanted to go back to.
DeleteOne little town I lived in had a 'store' that had all the mail order catalogs on display in the lobby. You could write out your order and the store would order from the catalog for you. The merchandise was delivered to the store and you would pick it up. My grandmother loved that store.
ReplyDeleteI can picture it.😊
DeleteIn our small, mostly rural town mail-order is still an important way to buy necessary items, but in order to mail order anything the mail system must work smoothly and efficiently.
ReplyDeleteThis is so true.
DeleteThe mail system was dependable then. USPS has slid down for the past decade. We order a lot of necessary stuff, but it usually comes by FedEx or Amazon.
ReplyDeleteMonkey Ward was our favorite. Once, my mom threw it into the burn mound in the garden. It was still embers when my brother and I thumbed through it. It sparked up into flame, Lit up dead garden debris in Feb. It was quite an event.
Thanks for the information, had no idea of such a day.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
I can't remember when I last received an actual mail-order catalogue. Everything's online these days.
ReplyDeleteWe seem to have days for almost everything!
ReplyDeleteI can remember mail order catalogues, it's mainly online these days.
All the best Jan