COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 45411

Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

42companies1856–1997founding years38still active4no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedRand McNally & Company
1856
FoundedNext plc
1864
FoundedBarnes & Noble, Inc.
1894
FoundedHanover Direct, Inc.
1898
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedThe King Arthur Flour Company
1904
1908
TechnologyThe Ford Model T brings the automobile to the middle class.
FoundedBlair Corporation
1910
1913
EconomyThe Federal Reserve is created.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
FoundedThe Talbots, Inc.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
FoundedLillian Vernon Corporation
1951
FoundedShaklee CorporationFoundedWilliams-Sonoma, Inc.
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedEuromarket Designs Inc.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedLands' End, Inc.
1963
1970
EnvironmentThe EPA is founded; environmental regulation expands.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; Nasdaq opens.
FoundedBear Creek Corporation
1972
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins with the Altair.
FoundedThe Sportsman's Guide, Inc.
1977
FoundedThe Sharper Image Corporation
1978
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedCompUSA, Inc.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
FoundedEgghead.com, Inc.
1988
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1994
TechnologyAmazon is founded; e-commerce begins to disrupt retail.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedAmazon.com, Inc.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2001
EconomyThe September 11 attacks; a recession follows.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 begin to take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Rand McNally & Company →
Active · founded 1856
Rand McNally & Company, a leading U.S.
Rand McNally & Company →
Active · founded 1856
Rand McNally & Company, a leading U.S.
Next plc →
Active · founded 1864 · United Kingdom
Next plc designs, manufactures, and distributes clothing and home furnishing and accessory items to nearly 330 Next…
Next plc →
Active · founded 1864 · United Kingdom
Next plc designs, manufactures, and distributes clothing and home furnishing and accessory items to nearly 330 Next…
Barnes & Noble, Inc. →
Active · founded 1894
Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. →
Active · founded 1894
Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Hanover Direct, Inc. →
Active · founded 1898
Hanover Direct, Inc.
Hanover Direct, Inc. →
Active · founded 1898
Hanover Direct, Inc.
The King Arthur Flour Company →
Active · founded 1904
The King Arthur Flour Company celebrates its 210th anniversary in the year 2000.
The King Arthur Flour Company →
Active · founded 1904
The King Arthur Flour Company celebrates its 210th anniversary in the year 2000.
Blair Corporation →
Active · founded 1910
Blair Corporation is a retailer of low- to mid-priced men's and women's clothing and home products.
Blair Corporation →
Active · founded 1910
Blair Corporation is a retailer of low- to mid-priced men's and women's clothing and home products.
Federated Department Stores, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1929
With over 400 department stores in 33 states and a burgeoning direct-to-customer retail business, Federated Department…
Federated Department Stores, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1929
With over 400 department stores in 33 states and a burgeoning direct-to-customer retail business, Federated Department…
The Talbots, Inc. →
Active · founded 1947
The Talbots, Inc.
The Talbots, Inc. →
Active · founded 1947
The Talbots, Inc.
Lillian Vernon Corporation →
Active · founded 1951
The Lillian Vernon Corporation is a mail-order catalog company specializing in household, gardening, and decorative…
Lillian Vernon Corporation →
Active · founded 1951
The Lillian Vernon Corporation is a mail-order catalog company specializing in household, gardening, and decorative…
Shaklee Corporation →
Active · founded 1956
Shaklee Corporation, a subsidiary of Yamanouchi Consumer Inc., is a major producer and distributor of nutritional…
Shaklee Corporation →
Active · founded 1956
Shaklee Corporation, a subsidiary of Yamanouchi Consumer Inc., is a major producer and distributor of nutritional…
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. →
Active · founded 1956
Williams-Sonoma, Inc., has become virtually synonymous with home furnishings through its mail-order catalogs and retail…
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. →
Active · founded 1956
Williams-Sonoma, Inc., has become virtually synonymous with home furnishings through its mail-order catalogs and retail…
Euromarket Designs Inc. →
Active · founded 1962
Euromarket Designs Inc.
Euromarket Designs Inc. →
Active · founded 1962
Euromarket Designs Inc.
Lands' End, Inc. →
Active · founded 1963
Lands' End, Inc.
Lands' End, Inc. →
Active · founded 1963
Lands' End, Inc.
NBTY, Inc. →
Active · founded 1971
NBTY, Inc.
NBTY, Inc. →
Active · founded 1971
NBTY, Inc.
Bear Creek Corporation →
Active · founded 1972
Bear Creek Corporation is one of the nation's leading direct-mail marketers with facilities in Oregon's Rogue River…
Bear Creek Corporation →
Active · founded 1972
Bear Creek Corporation is one of the nation's leading direct-mail marketers with facilities in Oregon's Rogue River…
The Sportsman's Guide, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
The Sportsman's Guide, Inc.
The Sportsman's Guide, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
The Sportsman's Guide, Inc.
The Sharper Image Corporation →
Active · founded 1978
The Sharper Image Corporation is a specialty retailer that sells apparel and gift items through catalogs, retail…
The Sharper Image Corporation →
Active · founded 1978
The Sharper Image Corporation is a specialty retailer that sells apparel and gift items through catalogs, retail…
CompUSA, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1984
CompUSA, Inc.
CompUSA, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1984
CompUSA, Inc.
Egghead.com, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
Egghead.com, Inc.
Egghead.com, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
Egghead.com, Inc.
Amazon.com, Inc. →
Active · founded 1997
Considered a pioneer in online retailing, Amazon.com, Inc.
Amazon.com, Inc. →
Active · founded 1997
Considered a pioneer in online retailing, Amazon.com, Inc.
EToys, Inc. →
Active · founded 1997
eToys Inc.
EToys, Inc. →
Active · founded 1997
eToys Inc.
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