Here’s another little nugget from the May 7, 1941 section in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin announcing the opening of the new Sears store in Honolulu.
The newspaper printed profiles of the top executives of Sears, all men and all white (headline: “Sears, Roebuck headed by men of brilliance, industry and ideals”). At the bottom of the page was a small story highlighting the relationship between Sears and the newspaper industry.
The article describes Sears as “one of the biggest users of newspaper advertising in the nation and probably the largest direct buyer of daily newspaper white space.”
The company reported spent over $11 million on newspaper advertising in 1939. Its ads appeared in 896 newspapers in 47 states and the District of Columbia, according to this article.
In the pre-digital age, newspapers enjoyed a natural monopoly on advertising, and reaped the financial benefits.
In hindsight it’s no coincidence that daily newspapers across the country have struggled, with many simply going out of business, during the same period that the major national retail chains and their advertising dollars have also suffered a dramatic decline.
In any case, here’s the rosy picture presented to the public in mid-1941.
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Excellent point, Ian.
A bit of trivia: The original Sears store later became the headquarters for HPD. The original escalator remained in operation, and the flooring on the ground floor was still the one that Sears installed.
I don’t know if that was the first escalator in Honolulu, but it seemed like it was the first easily and publicly accessible. I remember how exciting it seemed to ride on it!
Prior to WW II there was a Japanese department store on King Street with an escalator. After the war the building location was that of International Savings & Loan. The department store sold a one-piece sink, range and oven. (Why I remember the place.) Since Sears opened in May of ’41 both escalators may have appear at approximately the same time.
Thanks for your great comments! They add a lot to this discussion.
At my first architecture job, an old draftsman told me the pet fish department was located on the roof. A large portion of the roof was flooded, creating a pond to raise the fish. The water was supplied by an on-site spring. The pond had a second purpose—it reduced the air conditioning load in the building.