Portrait of a Pioneer

Moreover, Sears bought large quantities of merchandise, which enabled the company to pass on its discounts to customers. As today’s merchants can attest, maintaining competitive pricing still is crucial to catalog success.

Sears also established and enhanced its credibility in particular, and mail order in general. One way it did this was by including in its catalogs illustrations of its buildings and warehouses to show that there was a real company behind the catalog pages. And it added reassuring guarantees and personal testimonials.