The History of the Winter White Sale!!

Did you know it’s been popular for the past 125 years? The Winter White Sale has a long history dating back to 1878, created by John Wanamaker, a department store owner. He came up with the idea to help increase sales after the holidays and to pass along special offers to his customers.

The reason it’s called a white sale is, most bed linens and towels were only available in white. In the 1950s, they added colors and prints to the “White Sale” and the name remained the same. Today a white sale will feature linens with from all colors, patterns and items for your home including kitchen supplies. White sales now take place all year round, usually during presidential birthdays.

Hospitals continue to use white sheets, pillowcases and blankets to detect blood, urine and other bodily fluids. This is also true of many hotels, military bases and motels, where patrons stay and military personnel bunk. Many fine dining restaurants use white linen napkins and tablecloths for similar reasons. Crime photographers, Medical Examiners can get clearer photos. This aids paramedics, police, healthcare professionals or coroners in the ability to profile or detect crime scenes and/or diagnose quickly and efficiently.

Who is John Wanamaker?

They credit John Wanamaker as being the first business owner to do print advertising and the first to offer guarantees on merchandise, cash refunds and the price tag. Wanamaker was a savvy entrepreneur who started his namesake department store in Philadelphia.

He was an American merchant, civic leader and political figure, considered by some a proponent of advertising and a “pioneer in marketing”. The proponent is a design-forward creative, developing relevant brands, compelling content, innovative products, and engaging experiences. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 11, 1838 and served as U.S. Postmaster General during the term of U.S. President Benjamin Harrison from 1889 to 1893.

He looked for ways to improve customer relations and make his business stand out. They tied the inspiration to do a white sale after the holidays to the idea of having a clean house, “a fresh start” for the New Year.