The Story of the Mail-order Catalogue
1946-2003: Simpsons-Sears, then Sears, eventually emerges as the most
successful
department store catalogue in Canada
In the postwar period, the number and variety of goods available
expanded
rapidly, as did the ability of Canadians to purchase them. The
electrification
of rural Canada increased the market for electric appliances. The baby
boom increased
Canada's population and led to the identification of children and
teenagers
as specific markets in the 1950s and '60s. By the late 1990s, e-commerce
allows
people to shop from companies next door and around the world.
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1947
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Woodward's of Vancouver celebrates the 50th anniversary of its
catalogue,
which is widely circulated throughout Western Canada.
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1952
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The CTCC, a Catholic French-Canadian union
representing
store and mail-order workers at Dupuis Frères, goes on strike. The
conflict,
which lasts three months, damages the public image of the company among
its French-speaking
clientele.
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1953
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Simpson's merges with the American Sears and the first
Simpsons-Sears
catalogue is issued. Like Eaton's, Sears had traditionally sold a
lower
class of goods than Simpson's. Eaton's restructures due to
strong
competition from Simpsons-Sears. Woodward's catalogue closes and its
assets
are purchased by the Hudson's Bay Company.
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1955
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In addition to its 14 department stores, 42 branch stores, and six
foreign
buying offices, Eaton's has four mail-order warehouses, four
factories,
and 299 order offices.
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1956
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Dupuis Frères circulates one million catalogues throughout
French Canada
but mainly in the province of Quebec. Jackets sporting the image of hockey
star
Maurice Richard are for sale in the catalogue.
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1963
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The Dupuis Frères catalogue closes. The company loses $70 000 on
its
catalogue operation in 1962 and lays employees off that October. The
department
store declares bankruptcy 15 years later.
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1965
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Eaton's has 336 catalogue outlets, and redesigns and reduces the
size
of the catalogue; the catalogue is now profitable only in Western and
Atlantic
Canada.
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1972
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On the 100th anniversary of the Simpson's department store, the
Simpsons-Sears
operation has 41 stores, four large catalogue centres, and 553 catalogue
selling
offices in Canada.
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1973
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Eaton's catalogue loses $17 million dollars and the idea of
closing
down the operation is raised for the first time.
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1976
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Eaton's catalogue closes.
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1977
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The mail-order operation of Simpsons-Sears is bought out by Sears and
becomes
Sears Canada.
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1999
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Eaton's declares bankruptcy. Sears Canada acquires the name but
in 2002
announces the closing of the last seven stores to carry the Eaton name.
Sears
publishes 24 different catalogues and handles 22 million orders.
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2003
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Mail order continues to thrive, particularly due to the success of
speciality
catalogues such as seeds, tools, and lingerie. However, with the
introduction
of e-commerce, many stores now have online shopping capability instead of,
or
in addition to, mail order. As with mail order, shoppers can dream about
possible
selections, purchase goods from distant places in the comfort of their
homes,
and await their arrival with anticipation.
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