Writing Assignment 2 Final Draft

By Samuel Burgess

CIS270WX History of Information Technology

Instructor: Major Sook Ha

Date: 02/10/2016

 

 

History of Information Technology Writing Assignment 2:

The Impact of the Aaron Montgomery Ward’s Mail-Order Catalogue on American Society

 

Aaron Montgomery Ward’s invention of a mail-order catalogue, circa 1872, created a more efficient, less ambiguous, and geographically accessible form of direct marketing to consumers all over America. Americans did not in fact adapt the mail-order catalogue to their specific situation at the time of its creation, conversely, it was an original innovation that was designed to fill an economical need: to bridge accessibility between rural Americans and larger consumer markets. This adaptation, borne out of Ward’s experiences as a travelling salesman, was a major consideration due to the geographical and economical barriers of the time. The mail-order catalogue was then enhanced by these groups, relative to their unique situation, as time went on. Finally, the mail-order catalogue is still in wide circulation in contemporary America.

 

It is hard to imagine the utilitarian need for something like a mail-order catalogue in this day and age, where a multitude of companies will stuff your mailbox (real and electronic) with solicitations and advertisements on a daily basis. However, there was a time when citizens of small towns in America could not simply go online, order items, and expect for them to be delivered in a timely manner. In fact, before Aaron Montgomery Ward introduced the first mail order catalogue in 1872, many Americans had to suffer through the small-selection sizes and high costs of small, local businesses and peddlers (people selling goods door-to-door) (3). Indeed, Aaron Montgomery Ward’s invention revolutionized corporate practices and widened business markets to include rural areas of America. The first mail-order catalogue sent out by Ward in 1872 “consisted of a single sheet of paper with a price list, 8 by 12 inches, showing the merchandise for sale with ordering instructions” (2). In fact, it is rumored that the original mail-order catalogue, written in 1880, was composed entirely by Ward alone, which included all catalogue copies that were sent out (1). Additionally, it is believed that even when “the business grew and department heads wrote merchandise descriptions, he still went over every line of copy to be certain that it was accurate” (1). These measures put out by Ward just show the tenacity and passion the innovator put into his work.

In essence, the concept behind Ward’s innovation involved buying inventory at wholesale prices, sending out mail-order catalogues to rural communities, and selling these towns previously inaccessible goods at fair rates (1). Ward’s idea was revolutionary business-wise, which in turn, greatly boosted the acceptance of his idea throughout rural communities in America. Essentially, Ward revealed a new technique in direct sales to rural people, which came at a time when “rural consumers longed for the comforts of the city, yet all too often were victimized by monopolists and overcharged by the costs of many middlemen required to bring manufactured products to the countryside” (1). Consequently, through his new information technology, Ward filled the existing market need for trustworthy business practices and reliable goods through mail-order catalogues. Ward accomplished this by underscoring his catalogues with a sound business model, which involved “eliminating intermediaries, with their markups and commissions, and drastically cutting selling costs,” which allowed him to “sell goods to people, however remote, at appealing prices” (1). Consequently, all Ward needed in order to ignite his wildfire technological adaptation, was a bit of startup capital and the trust of rural families, who had for far too long, been taken advantage of with no recourse in a “caveat emptor economy” (1).

Ward’s mail-order catalogue was no overnight success as many might think. In fact, one of the biggest obstacles Ward had to climb was gaining the trust of farming communities and customers. In fact, Ward’s initial hiccups were quite surprising to the entrepreneur, as he had a sound business model and high quality merchandise, which he was offering at a low price, and his idea was not taking off (3). Consequently, Ward decided that he had to establish credibility with the rural communities, and he began attending “meetings of a large, farmers’ organization known as the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry,” where he would introduce himself to the local populations and promote his business (3). This business-savvy strategy payed off, and “orders from the farmers’ clubs and the Granges fueled a sharp expansion in orders and in 1874 Ward decided to devote himself to the business on a full-time basis” (3) As we see, Ward’s innovations were not immediately successful, but through adapting to local American cultures and through gaining trust in face-to-face meetings, Ward was able to eradicate the problems that had plagued his business model initially.

To further illustrate Ward’s ability to overcome obstacles in the name of adapting his technology to the needs of American society, it is important to note Ward’s conception of the philosophy and practice of the “satisfaction guarantee” (1). While this slogan is seen attached to every business venture and technology around today, the idea of having a policy that mandated the return of money to unsatisfied customers was seen as ludicrous to some in 1875 (1). Consequently, this adaptation of Ward’s only helped further consumer trust in his product, which is why many nowadays call Ward “‘the first consumerist 100 years before Ralph Nader’ for his firm stand on behalf of the rights of the consumer to a fair deal” (1).

After some time, Ward’s innovation slowly but surely gained success, and consequently, Ward expanded the catalogue (2). After the mail-order catalogue, often referred to by many rural Americans as a “dream book,” gained widespread popularity, the catalogues “became bigger, more heavily illustrated, chock full of goods” (2). By 1896, Ward’s innovation had become such a revered method of practice that other enterprising merchants (most prominently Richard W. Sears and Alvah C. Roebuck) began copying Ward’s practices on a large-scale (1). Cross-analyzing relatively over time, Ward’s original list of 1872 contained 163 items,” and “by 1875 he was mailing his customers a thick catalog listing 3,899 items” (3). The business grew and grew, however Ward’s “basic business philosophy of quality merchandise at low prices, backed by a money-back guarantee did not change” (3). Ever since the large-scale corporate acceptance of Montgomery Ward’s invention, the mail-order catalogue has only projected upwards. In fact, “by 1971 catalog sales of major U.S. firms exceeded more than $250 million in postal revenue,” revealing the profitability of the practice in America (1). The mail-order catalogue business today remains a large-scale industry in the United States. However, the technology has adapted and now serves different roles than it once did. For instance, as the technology was once adapted as a method of efficiently and directly opening retail options to rural Americans, it is now used as more of a form of cheap and supplemental advertisement for businesses. Additionally, as the originator of the mail-order catalog concept, as well as an environmental activist, Aaron Montgomery Ward is remembered in his hometown of Chicago through The Montgomery Ward Tower and parks throughout the city (1).

            Aaron Montgomery Ward’s introduction and proliferation of the mail-order catalogue truly speaks to the models of innovation that we see through information technology theories. Ward’s original notion of a low cost, wholesale product line was further developed and adapted in order to fit the geographical and cultural needs of rural Americans. Furthermore, Ward’s adaptations of his technology were done through the capitalistic principles of catering to the customer and the market. Ward’s idea of a mail-order catalogue was not seen as an instant success and it took Ward’s hard-work, business-savvy, and his ability to change for his idea to really take off. Consequently, the chronology of Ward’s mail-order catalogue does an amazing job of showing how technologies are adapted and innovated in order to fit the changing needs of a specific culture and nation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

 

• Kim, Ann. “Montgomery Ward: The World’s First Mail-Order Business.” Illinois Periodicals Online(2000): 42. Northern Illinois University Libraries. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
• “The History of Mail and Postal Innovations.” com Inventors. About.com, 03 Feb. 2016. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
• “General Retail Merchandising in America.” American National Business Hall of Fame. 17 Feb. 2013. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.