Imagine America Without Walmart?

1962 turns out to have  been an important year in the modern history of shopping in the United States.  On July 2, 1962, Sam Walton opened the first Walmart Discount City store located at 719 Walnut Ave. in Rogers, Arkansas.   It is now, of course, the largest retailer in the world. Target and K-Mart were also founded in that year.  The three represented the trend toward larger, more diverse, somewhat more upscale discount shopping.  Later, they also exemplify the emerging dominance of national companies over local sellers.

At the time, the dominant retailer was Sears Roebuck and Co., which still had a thriving catalog business.  The Sears catalog was a staple of the first three-fourths of the 20^th Century, and its arrival in the mail an exciting event (especially during the Christmas season).  The other major sales leader was J.C. Penny’s, which was a classic department store.  Some of the important players of that era that no longer exist included Montgomery Wards, Rexall Drugs, TG&Y, and Woolworths/Woolco.

While there were certainly shopping malls in 1962, they were just beginning to hit their stride.  The baby boomers and urban sprawl were pushing the boundaries of all cities, and that spread created opportunities for newer and bigger malls, often leaving the original ones behind and failing.  

So, what was it like to shop in 1962?  Generally, it was not as mall-centered, the stores were more locally owned, and there were fewer retail choices.  And, if you can believe it, there was no internet.