© 2001 by Design History Society
Ahead of Their Time: The Sears Catalogue Prefabricated Houses
McGill School of Architecture Montreal
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Abstract |
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Several companies in the early 1900s offered high-quality, pre-cut and prefabricated houses in a great variety of styles. The most successful of these companies, in the years before the Second World War, was sears, Roebuck and Company. sears sold houses via mail-order catalogue and through their sales offices nearly 100,000 clients between 1908 and 1940. Despite their widespread success, however, Sears' Home Construction Division ultimately failed. The reasons for this failure can be understood in the context of their design flexibility, marketing strategy, approach to financing and the process of selling, delivering and erecting the houses. Sears' concept of packaging and shipping high-quality pre-cut materials and precise instructions directly to the client was sound. It was especially effective when combined with their ability to maintain flexibility and to offer a wide variety of designs. The company's marketing strategy was very skilful, and they were successful in convincing thousands of Americans that a Sears house would bring them the comfort and security of their dreams. Financing decisions and short-sightedness rather than poor marketing strategies or a substandard product caused the downfall in Sears' Home Construction Division. Their liberal financing policies did not take into account the possibility of economic recession nor did they allow for the reduced need for housing after 1924. Even so, their experiences in their prefabrication contributed to the current design and packaging of homes.
Key Words: architecture • catalogue houses • design history • marketing • prefabrication • United States