16. The Sears catalog offered groceries for decades
Beginning in 1896 the Sears catalog offered groceries, both in bulk and in smaller orders to its catalog customers. Most products offered by the company included flour and sugar, canned vegetables and meat, soft drinks, flavorings, spices and herbs, prepackaged foods such as cakes and cookies, and virtually everything which would be available in a well-stocked store was available under the common brand name Montclair. Other items, such as dried beans, lentils, peas, grains, and cereals, were listed without branding. Emerging national brands were also available, and as more and more processed foods became available for consumers to purchase in stores they were listed in the Sears catalog, which was issued seasonally with prices guaranteed until the next issue appeared.
In 1915 a five-pound bag of dried red beans could be purchased from the Sears catalog for 39 cents. A five-pound bag of Montclair Evaporated Sweet Corn cost fifty-two cents and was prepared by the consumer by simply soaking the corn kernels in water, though it could be eaten as it was if preferred. The grocery section included soaps for laundry, dishes, and body, as well as starch for cooking and for stiffening shirts and other clothing. Dried, pickled, and canned fish of all varieties was a popular item in the catalog, especially New England codfish, and offered in several styles, sold to consumers far from the salt water of Massachusetts Bay. Canned tuna and other fishes, including lobster, found a home in the Sears catalog in the days before supermarkets became the means of people purchasing the bulk of their food.