Question: Which retailer published the first U.S. general merchandise mail-order catalog in 1872?
Answer: Montgomery Ward published the first general merchandise mail-order catalog in the United States on Aug. 18, 1872. This catalog was a single 8×12-inch sheet that listed 163 items, targeting rural customers in order to bypass middlemen. The business experienced rapid growth; by 1874, the catalog had expanded to 32 pages, and it reached 152 pages by 1876.
