Consumer selling and buying practices, including direct sales, mail order, subscriptions, and layaway; retailer identities belong under Companies > Retailers.
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
When shoppers put a toy on layaway, what does the store do with the toy?
Stores kept layaway goods in a back room, so popular holiday toys stayed reserved instead of selling out.
What lid trick showed guests a Tupperware seal was airtight?
Pressing the lid pushed out extra air so the seal locked tight and kept leftovers fresh longer.
Which record company ran Columbia House's largest mail-order music rival?
RCA's club later became BMG Music Service, and Columbia House and BMG dominated mail-order music for decades.
What did teachers earn when their class ordered from Scholastic Book Clubs?
Class orders earned points teachers redeemed for free books to build classroom libraries.
What did an express checkout lane limit to speed up 1970s supermarket lines?
Express lanes often capped baskets at about ten items, so quick trips skipped the long full-cart lines.
What did new Columbia House record-club members agree to do after the cheap introductory offer?
Required purchases were billed at regular club prices plus shipping, so the penny deal was only the starting cost.
How did students order books through Scholastic Book Clubs in school?
Teachers collected the marked flyers and money, then sent one classroom order to Scholastic.
What did a door-to-door encyclopedia salesperson often show families during a visit?
The sample showed the binding, illustrations, and page layout families would get across the full set.
What sticker did supermarket clerks place on cans to show the price before scanners?
Clerks used handheld pricing guns to stamp stickers on cans, since cashiers typed each price at the register.
What container did the home milkman leave on customer doorsteps?
Dairies delivered before dawn so fresh milk waited on the step in time for breakfast.