The impact of John Wanamaker's (elementary school, train, best)

[ApartmentNomad]

Originally Posted by newmarlig

This isn't something that's right or wrong.

Right, the thread has provided plenty of anecdotal evidence that members of my family weren't the only ones to say "Wannie's." How widespread that usage was remains an open question, but unless kyb01 thinks everyone on the thread is lying, it is an expression that some people have used, or heard used, and it's not even that difficult to scare up some of those people.

Funny that this thread has turned into a discussion of that nickname, but I have to admit the original post fails to fully live up to the promise of the thread title, anyway. It's mostly just a very lazy book review.

[acenturi]

My Uncle was a Wanamaker's VP up until it was sold to L&T in 1997 and he NEVER, NEVER called it "wannie's", even over informal Sunday family gatherings. My Aunt, however, sometimes used the term with her friends, including my Mother, when her husband wasn't around. He wasn't shy about chastising anyone who used it.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by acenturi

My Uncle was a Wanamaker's VP up until it was sold to L&T in 1997 and he NEVER, NEVER called it "wannie's", even over informal Sunday family gatherings. My Aunt, however, sometimes used the term with her friends, including my Mother, when her husband wasn't around. He wasn't shy about chastising anyone who used it.

It's me being snob I suppose but I actually find it disrepectful to refer to it as " Wannie's" . John Wanamaker was a pioneer American retailer and marketer. He deserves much more than people using some nickname for his store(s).

[newmarlig]

Originally Posted by kyb01

It's me being snob I suppose but I actually find it disrepectful to refer to it as " Wannie's" . John Wanamaker was a pioneer American retailer and marketer. He deserves much more than people using some nickname for his store(s).

Your not liking it doesn't mean it didn't/doesn't happen. It reminds me of Jeff Lurie who complained about people calling Lincoln Financial Field "the Linc." He may not have liked it, but guess what? It didn't stop anybody.

[MarketStEl]

Well, to get back to the larger question of Wanamakers' (I note that when the store was referred to as a possessive, the possessive 's was not used) influence:

John Wanamaker is generally considered the father of the American department store as we came to know it. His first store, the "Grand Depot," took over a Pennsylvania Railroad freight depot that sat on the site of the present-day Wanamaker store/Wanamaker Building in 1871.

Now, that's three years after Justus Strawbridge and Isaac Clothier established their dry goods store a little ways to the east on Market Street, so I'm not exactly clear on what differentiated the two establishments. Perhaps the Grand Depot carried items other than "dry goods" (clothes, bed linens, bath towels, etc.)?

He is also the pioneer of fixed pricing for all (haggling over prices used to be American practice too, as it still is in many bazaars in the Levant and elsewhere) and the inventor of the money-back guarantee. In the 1980s, when Carter Hawley Hale (later Broadway-Hale) Stores owned the chain, the entrances to Wanamaker stores bore the founder's own quote over his famous signature:

"We will refund your money or exchange the goods if they do not please the folks at home!"

He was also an early adopter of newspaper display advertising as a means of promoting the store and what it offered. He had a good quote on that too:

"I know that I waste half the money I spend on advertising. Trouble is, I don't know which half!"

[Pilot1]

Originally Posted by newmarlig

Your not liking it doesn't mean it didn't/doesn't happen. It reminds me of Jeff Lurie who complained about people calling Lincoln Financial Field "the Linc." He may not have liked it, but guess what? It didn't stop anybody.

Both my parents were born and raised in Philly, and I was born there but grew up in a close in suburb. I NEVER heard Wanamakers' referred to as "Wannies" by any family, friends, neighbors, etc. I'm not saying that nobody called it that, but I would think I would have heard that growing up. And yes my mother used to drag me there as a kid, and to Strawbridges, Lit Brothers, and Gimbels.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

Well, to get back to the larger question of Wanamakers' (I note that when the store was referred to as a possessive, the possessive 's was not used) influence:

John Wanamaker is generally considered the father of the American department store as we came to know it. His first store, the "Grand Depot," took over a Pennsylvania Railroad freight depot that sat on the site of the present-day Wanamaker store/Wanamaker Building in 1871.

Now, that's three years after Justus Strawbridge and Isaac Clothier established their dry goods store a little ways to the east on Market Street, so I'm not exactly clear on what differentiated the two establishments. Perhaps the Grand Depot carried items other than "dry goods" (clothes, bed linens, bath towels, etc.)?

He is also the pioneer of fixed pricing for all (haggling over prices used to be American practice too, as it still is in many bazaars in the Levant and elsewhere) and the inventor of the money-back guarantee. In the 1980s, when Carter Hawley Hale (later Broadway-Hale) Stores owned the chain, the entrances to Wanamaker stores bore the founder's own quote over his famous signature:

"We will refund your money or exchange the goods if they do not please the folks at home!"

He was also an early adopter of newspaper display advertising as a means of promoting the store and what it offered. He had a good quote on that too:

"I know that I waste half the money I spend on advertising. Trouble is, I don't know which half!"

I remember reading in history books that John Wanamaker and Marshall Field brought the department store concept to the US. Strangely enough, if you remember the PBS series, Mr. Selfridge, he took the Americanized version back to Europe when he opened Selfridges in London.

I think that the difference between a dry goods and a department store was that the department store had some food and at least one restaurant, as well as perfumes, jewelry, leather goods.

I remember when Wilmington Dry Goods expanded into a chain. It was clothing, curtains and draperies, bedding, etc. It had everything made with cloth. I can't speak for the 19th century versions, though.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by newmarlig

Your not liking it doesn't mean it didn't/doesn't happen. It reminds me of Jeff Lurie who complained about people calling Lincoln Financial Field "the Linc." He may not have liked it, but guess what? It didn't stop anybody.

Correct. I don't like it. I stated why.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Pilot1

Both my parents were born and raised in Philly, and I was born there but grew up in a close in suburb. I NEVER heard Wanamakers' referred to as "Wannies" by any family, friends, neighbors, etc. I'm not saying that nobody called it that, but I would think I would have heard that growing up. And yes my mother used to drag me there as a kid, and to Strawbridges, Lit Brothers, and Gimbels.

It's funny how this has turned into another argument when I'm pretty sure the OP did not intend that.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by Pilot1

Both my parents were born and raised in Philly, and I was born there but grew up in a close in suburb. I NEVER heard Wanamakers' referred to as "Wannies" by any family, friends, neighbors, etc. I'm not saying that nobody called it that, but I would think I would have heard that growing up. And yes my mother used to drag me there as a kid, and to Strawbridges, Lit Brothers, and Gimbels.

Yep.. used to go to all three of those..Wannamakers was always the best though.. I used to love the childrens department and the train that used to run around suspended from the ceiling while your parents shopped below... that was in the 70s..... Used to shop at Strawbridges up through my teens.. that was when The Gallery was in vogue..