palmerfieldwardsears.....and roebuck

Well well well, fall is on it's way, and I must say...I'm fine with it. My radiators are on, I got my flannel jammies and a fat cat to keep the tootsies warm. Bring it. Tonight I will be tuning in to watch the debates and eat chinese food. I think I'm old, because that sounds like the greatest night ever, and it sounds like my parents. So boom, at 34...I'm my mother, but without the kids.

So I've been reading now about the square of dynamo retailers. Potter Palmer, who built the Palmer House Hotel for his wife Bertha. He was the sort of "original" retailer, opening a big store and making sure the customer was always right and was the first one to give the money back if one was not satisfied with his/her purchases.

Then came his protege, good ole Marshall. Now Marshall took this all one step further. He noticed that women were too afraid to go traipsing about alone and made his flagship store a big beautiful store. It was well lit, with porters to take the fine ladies to their shopping. He was the one who coined the term "Give the lady what she wants". He catered to the women and single-handedly evolved shopping into a "woman" thing. He found that the women were going home for lunch, so he built a beautiful restaurant in his store. He built great big windows, so that women could go "window shopping". Ladies were finally allowed to leave their homes safely, shop safely and with incredible customer service.

Then came smarty pants Monte Ward. He took all of this even a step further...the country stores were buying their things from Fields, then selling it to the farmers at above retail price. Monkey Ward (that's what my mommy calls it, but she thought the Field Museum was filled with fields...so...don't listen) decided to cut out the middle man and SHIP the items directly to the farmers, cutting out the middle man and thereby making the products much cheaper. He started his catalogue and it became huge.

Then came Mr. Sears, who apparently was a sneaky old fart. Took Monkeys' idea and ran with it, slowly building his business to even higher heights. Roebuck? Just along for the ride.

I need to get me ass to the Graceland cemetary, almost all these cats are buried there.

Going to Graceland.