Nineteenth Century Was a Difficult

¶ … nineteenth century was a difficult period for the numerous individuals who wanted to make a living in the U.S., considering that many were impeded by the competition who was always ready to do better work for lesser money. Marshall Field's department store (presently known as Macy's) is virtually a hallmark for nineteenth century's Chicago. It fame is owed to the strategy its founder-Marshall Field-used in order to achieve success. Going from an obscure job in a retail company, Field made it big in a matter of years, being among the celebrated self-made millionaires in the world.

Field saw the opportunity to employ a series of retail techniques he predicted would improve business in the company he worked. Not only did his methods of retailing have success, but he brought reform to the domain of trading. He realized that in order to own a thriving business one would have to focus on certain matters, such as customer service, tolerant credit, the one-price system, and being willing to have merchandise return to the company if the customer was not satisfied with it.

In spite of the fact that the founder of the Selfridge department store in London is officially recognized as the person who came up with the phrase "the customer is always right," people in the U.S. mostly relate to Marshall Field when hearing the expression.

Field revolutionized retailing, taking it to a whole new level and creating the department store as it presently exists. The English business man appeared to have developed a passion for selling, also being dedicated to drawing as much customers as possible by selling quality merchandise for good prices.

It was more than just money for Field, as he wanted to present the general public with a better alternative to what it thought to be retailing. He did not take advantage of small business opportunities, given the fact that he wanted to begin a career in retailing and he was aware that in order to do so he had to run after the best deals he could find. His reluctance to join his boss in Pittsburgh, Massachusetts, in owning the store he was previously employed for was owed to his determination to have all that it took for him to become a successful entrepreneur. He foresaw that in spite of his small population, Chicago was a city likely to become one of the most important towns in the Midwest. His first step was to take a job in the city's largest firm-Coley, Wadsworth and Company, which he would later own.

Initially buying the merchandise he sold from various production factories in and outside the U.S., Field shortly built factories where he made his own products and thus had to pay less money for the whole deal. Small businesses were practically brought to hopelessness because they could not keep up with the prices imposed by their larger counterparts. For some Field was a creative thinker whereas for others he was the end of their businesses. In spite of his social statue at the peak of his success, Field did not consider his employees to be any different from him and he did not hesitate to promote them when they deserved it. Nonetheless, he was recognized for paying employees lower wages than it was customary at the time. Even with that, most of them were happy with working conditions, considering that he took care that everyone would be awarded with jobs that would fit their expectations.

It was also during his era that worker strikes were brought down rapidly and with little damage, as he used the National Guard to calm down spirits. To a large degree, Marshall Field can be held responsible for the success experienced by Chicago in the nineteenth century and consequent to that time.