Montgomery Ward's Boss Was Carried Out by Soldiers

A company that refuses every risk still takes one: the risk of standing still while someone else moves. The decision Montgomery Ward's chairman made, and what it cost the company over time, told through the company's own filings and statements. Chapters 00:00 No new stores 01:07 A single sheet reaches the farm 03:23 A reindeer for every customer 08:19 The depression that never returns 13:35 The freeze outlives its chairman 19:20 Roger Goddu's December announcement 21:13 What a frozen company teaches owners 22:47 The ledger Sources: Montgomery Ward SEC filings (1994 proxy statement; 10-K fiscal 1996 and 1997; 8-K 1999), FDR's December 27, 1944 seizure statement, UPI and Spokesman-Review coverage of the 2000 closing. Full list with links on request in the comments. Photo credits (via Wikimedia Commons and others): Click Americana, "Montgomery Ward retail store at the Wonderland Shopping…" (CC BY 2.0); Joe+Jeanette Archie, "1974-GM050-890 (4158370262) (Montgomery Ward…" (CC BY 2.0); Mlnielson91, "Montgomery Ward Company Complex, Chicago" (CC BY-SA 4.0); Dori, "Downtown Chicago Illinois Nov05 img 2533 cropped" (CC BY 3.0); Jason Woodhead, "PHOSTINT CHICAGO" (CC BY 2.0); Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, "Sears, Roebuck and Company, Pressroom, circa 1920 -…" (CC BY 2.0); Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, "Sears, Roebuck and Company Holiday Orders, circa 1925 -…" (CC BY 2.0); Jazzyjohn at English Wikipedia, "Mwbigtownstr" (CC BY 1.0). Licences: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 · creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 · creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 · creativecommons.org/licenses/by/1.0 #MontgomeryWard #Sears #RetailHistory