9/28/2008:
Looking for a Craftsman wrench or Kenmore washing machine?
Since its formation in 1893, Sears, Roebuck & Co. has carried a number of popular brands ranging from Coldspot to Diehard. It all began with the Economy Cream Separator; their first major brand-name product promotion developed by Richard Sears, co-founder of the company, who died on this day in 1914.
While hunting in North Dakota in 1902, Richard Sears encountered a farmer using a cream separator purchased from another company. The North Dakota farmer praised the gadget for the amount of time and money it saved. But the price tag of $100 shocked Sears. Surely he could offer a similar one for a third of that price. Rushing back to Chicago, Sears, Roebuck & Co. soon introduced a line of "Economy Cream Separators" for under $40. They quickly became one of the company’s best-selling products.
Sources:
Ascoli, Peter Max. Julius Rosenwald: The Man Who Built Sears, Roebuck and Advanced the Cause of Black Education in the American South: Indiana University Press, 2006.
"Sears Archives", http://www.searsarchives.com/history/