Everything Everywhere Daily · Sunday, August 9, 2026
Aaron Montgomery Ward founded his company in 1872, leveraging the expanding railroad network to sell directly to farmers and combat the high prices and debt cycles imposed by local general stores. Ward pioneered a 'satisfaction guaranteed or your money back' policy to build customer trust.
“Ward saw firsthand how rural farmers were being taken advantage of by local general stores.”
“Ward's goal was to establish a central warehouse in Chicago, taking advantage of the massive railroad network there and shipping goods directly to rural railroad depots where farmers could pick them up, cutting out intermediaries and more importantly, general stores.”
“He converted skeptical farmers into lifelong customers by pioneering a simple yet radical policy: satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.”