This January 2, 1938 episode of Captains of Industry tells the story of John Wanamaker, the Philadelphia merchant who transformed American retail. Beginning as an ambitious young salesman, Wanamaker dreamed of a store built not just on commerce, but on fair dealing, trust, and hospitality.

His innovations — fixed prices, money-back guarantees, employee education, and designing stores as places of experience rather than mere counters — reshaped how Americans shop. From a rented storefront to a grand emporium filled with marble galleries, tea rooms, and music, Wanamaker’s vision turned buying and selling into something more human — a relationship between merchant and community.

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Related:
John Wanamaker: A Retailing Innovator

http://www.maykuth.com/Archives/wana95.htm

A Short History of the Life of John Wanamaker:

https://web.archive.org/web/20181014181113/http://wanamakerorgan.com/john.php

Stories of Great Christians: John Wanamaker:

https://moodyaudio.com/products/john-wanamaker



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