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John Wanamaker (July 11, 1838 – December 12, 1922) was an American merchant and religious, civic and political figure, considered by some to be a proponent of advertising and a "pioneer in marketing".
- Sandy Hingston
- John Wanamaker was born in what is now known as Grays Ferry in Philadelphia on July 11, 1838, son of Nelson and Elizabeth Wanamaker. Nelson, who worked with his own father as a brick maker, followed his dad to Indiana in 1850 after Philly’s larger brick makers undercut their business.
- Business wasn’t any better out west, so Nelson and the family moved back to Philly in 1851. John, then 14, took a job at the Troutman and Haye s bookstore for $1.25 a week, then moved after a year to work at Barclay Lippincott clothing store for double the pay.
- When Wanamaker returned to Philly in 1858, at age 20, he took a job as the first full-time paid secretary of the local Young Men’s Christian Association, for the hefty salary of $1,000 a year.
- In 1859, the devoutly religious Wanamaker founded Bethany Sunday School in a rented room at 2135 South Street. Neighbors objected to the mission, and on the first day of school, Wanamaker, two teachers and all 27 students were driven from the building by their unruly rioting.
Wanamaker 's, originally known as John Wanamaker Department Store, was one of the first department stores in the United States. Founded by John Wanamaker in Philadelphia in 1861, it was influential in the development of the retail industry including as the first store to use price tags.
John Wanamaker (born July 11, 1838, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.—died Dec. 12, 1922, Philadelphia) was a merchant and founder of one of the first American department stores. Wanamaker began work at age 14 as an errand boy for a bookstore and served as secretary of the Philadelphia YMCA from 1857 to 1861.
Leadership →. Great American Business Leaders of the 20th Century. Request the Data. John Wanamaker and Company. 1875–1922. Industry: Retail. Era: pre-1900. Wanamaker thought his “new kind of store,” which was a consolidation of many different kinds of shops into one, was the future of shopping.
Learn how John Wanamaker revolutionized the retail industry with his concept of the department store, his price tags, his truth in advertising, and his customer service. Explore his legacy of trust, quality, and style in Philadelphia and New York.
Feb 5, 2019 · John Wanamaker was born into a family with a very different line of work than retail: Both his father and grandfather made bricks. As a young man, he worked in a dry goods store and later...
