11/21/2008:
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.