Amazon, with a doorbell: the everything store in 1958

Amazon is what happens when the old mail-order fantasy acquires a search bar: the whole store arrives at the family room, and the box is part of the decor.

Hagley Museum and Library traces Sears's first mail-order catalog to 1888. Later Big Books ran past 1,000 pages and offered everything from appliances and home goods to farm equipment and mail-order houses. 1 In the 1950s, car-centered suburbia helped malls replace walkable shopping. 2

Amazon says its customer promise is broad selection, value, and convenience across online shopping and other services. 3 Its SEC filing dates the company to 1994 and describes consumers being served through online and physical stores. 4 That makes the affectionate gag easy: the old catalog's abundance, updated with a click and a doorbell.