Jack Sayan

Mr.Bierer
U.S. History II
10/28/19
Sears VS Amazon paper

Sears, Roebuck Co. was the Amazon of its day and crushed the selling competition until

the early 2000’s when the company ultimately faltered, lost money and power, and failed.

Amazon took over the retail industry and claimed Sears’s spot for the top companies to sell retail

products.

Sears was founded by two men named Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Robuck.

The two men started out together selling and repairing watches. They then moved on to sell

hardware, house appliances, and other goods. Amazon also started by selling one product which

was books. The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, started a small online company to destroy the

existing bookselling industry. He started to sell movies, music, and audiobooks and ship to

buyers. Later in his career, he moved into other retail goods such as hardware, home goods, and

now, Amazon sells basically everything any international consumer could want to buy.

Sears started out by using mail order to sell their merchandise. This was a huge step for

Sears because this was the first time that people could order from home; this also helped the

black community because when some African Americans tried to go into the community shop,

they would be discriminated against. When the mail-order option came out, they could order

from home and not be made fun of in public. Amazon has the same structure, but they have an

online order where the customers could order online and purchase goods autonomously. While

Amazon grew larger and began to take over the internet shopping world, Sears still shipped out

catalogs in the mail due to the rural population of their customers; but soon as more and more
people began using the internet, Amazon sold more goods because it was so much faster and

easier to purchase online.

Amazon had the advantage of selling their goods manufactured and produced by

thousands of companies who used their selling platform. They paid other websites to put their

ads on the Amazon website which drew still more people to buy goods on Amazon. Also,

Amazon started the Amazon Prime membership program which was a $12.99 membership

initially, that would include free shipping, next day delivery, and lower prices on prime items.

This was a huge success for Amazon and it boosted their sales. Then Amazon was able to raise

annual membership fees and is offering same-day deliveries on some items! Sears was still using

only the slow mail order option and was slowly losing sales and customers.

In conclusion, Sears was on top of the retail industry they helped modernize and expand

in the early 1900s; Sears enjoyed incredible sales and profits and later opened many brick and

mortar stores in malls and shopping centers across the country. Sears was a powerhouse of sales

from the late 1800s to the late 1900s. Once Amazon came into play, Sears was overpowered by

the sales Amazon brought in. Amazon claimed the top spot that Sears once had and that led Sears

to drop dramatically in sales and money. This was the major downfall for Sears which led them

to file for bankruptcy.

 Works Cited

DePillis, Lydia, and Ivory Sherman. “Amazon's Extraordinary 25-Year Evolution.” ​CNN​, Cable

News Network, 5 July 2019,

Matthews, Caroline. “Sears' Extraordinary History: A Timeline.” ​CNN,​ Cable News Network, 7

Feb. 2019,

Thompson, Derek. “The History of Sears Predicts Nearly Everything Amazon Is Doing.” ​The

Atlantic​, Atlantic Media Company, 25 Sept. 2

 Levels of Proficiency Name Jack Sayan
Scale
5 Strong Assignment Sears vs. Amazon Essay
4 Proficient ⑨ Proficient: Score 4’s or higher on all traits in a high school
3 Developing level essay
Title Sears VS Amazon Paper
2 Emerging ⑨ Proficient with Honors: Score 4.5’s or higher on all traits in a
high school honors-level essay
1 Not Yet
Date 10/21/19
Rubric for the Evaluation of a Compare/Contrast Essay
Teacher Mr. Bierer
__Ideas and Content​: ​ The paper contains an ​insightful​ and/or ​sophisticated​ thesis that fully addresses the prompt and is ​fully
supported by ​relevant, accurate and specific​ evidence from appropriate sources. The writer ​always​ explains ​how​ evidence
communicates what it does and justifies inclusion.
__Organization​:​ The paper follows a ​clear and logical​ train of thought ​set by​ the thesis. The paper’s introduction and
5 conclusion are ​effective​ and the writer ​always​ uses topic sentences and effective transitions to reflect either a point-by-point or
block organization.
__Style​:​ Tone, voice, and point of view are ​always​ appropriate to the audience and purpose. Diction and sentence fluency are
excellent throughout​ and the paper is ​rich​ in accurate and specific words choices.
__Conventions/Presentation​:​ The writer uses ​perfect​ citation format, grammar, spelling, punctuation, fonts, and layout.
__Ideas and Content​:​ The paper contains a ​clear and intelligent​ thesis that fully addresses the prompt and is supported by
relevant, accurate and sufficient​ evidence from appropriate sources. The writer explains ​how​ evidence communicates what it
does ​in almost all instances​ thus offering justification for inclusion.
__Organization​:​ The paper follows a ​logical​ train of thought ​related to​ the thesis. The paper’s introduction and conclusion
4 are ​functional​ and the writer ​always​ uses topic sentences but less effective transitions to reflect either a point-by-point or block
organization.
__Style​:​ Tone, voice, and point of view are ​appropriate​ to the audience and purpose. Diction and sentence fluency are ​good
and the paper contains ​many​ accurate and specific words choices.
__Conventions/Presentation​:​ The writer uses ​correct​ citation format, grammar, spelling, punctuation, fonts, and layout.
 __Ideas and Content​:​ The paper contains a thesis that ​addresses​ the prompt and is supported by ​some relevant​ evidence.
The writer provides a ​superficial​ explanation of ​how​ evidence communicates what it does offering limited justification.
__Organization​:​ The paper follows a train of thought ​related to the thesis​. The paper ​has​ an introduction and conclusion and
the writer uses ​some​ topic sentences and adequate transitions to reflect the point-by-point or block organization.
3 __Style​: ​ Tone, voice, and point of view are ​usually​ appropriate to the audience and purpose. Diction and sentence fluency are
inconsistent​ and the paper contains ​some​ accurate and specific words choices.
__Conventions/Presentation​: ​ The writer uses ​generally​ correct citation format, grammar, spelling, punctuation, fonts, and
layout.

__Ideas and Content​:​ The paper contains a thesis that ​attempts to address​ the prompt, but the writer ​provides little​ clear,
relevant evidence. The writer ​fails to​ explain ​how​ evidence communicates what it does and/or justify inclusion.
__Organization​:​ The paper ​does not ​follow a train of thought related to the thesis. The paper is ​missing​ an introduction or
2 conclusion and the writer uses ​few​ topic sentences and/or transitions to reflect the point-by-point or block organization.
__Style​:​ Tone, voice, and point of view are ​sometimes​ appropriate to the audience and purpose. Diction and sentence fluency
are ​poor​ and the paper contains ​few​ accurate or specific words choices.
__Conventions/Presentation​:​ The writer uses ​poor​ citation format, grammar, spelling, punctuation, fonts, and layout.
__Ideas and Content​:​ The paper contains ​no thesis​ or a thesis that ​does not necessarily address​ the prompt. The writer ​fails
to provide​ accurate, relevant evidence. The writer ​fails to​ explain ​how​ evidence communicates what it does or justify inclusion.
__Organization​:​ The paper ​does not​ follow a train of thought related to the thesis. The paper is ​missing​ an introduction and
1 conclusion and the writer ​fails to​ use topic sentences and/or transitions to reflect the point-by-point or block organization.
__Style​:​ Tone, voice, and point of view are ​not​ appropriate to the audience and purpose. Diction and sentence fluency are ​poor
and the paper ​does not​ contain accurate or specific words choices.
__Conventions/Presentation​:​ The writer uses ​incorrect​ citation format, grammar, spelling, punctuation, fonts, and layout.
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