Prior to Philadelphia’s famous Wanamaker’s department store, prices were usually established by haggling with the shopkeeper. John Wanamaker, a department store legend in the early 1900s, had a philosophical problem with haggling so he invented a fixed price amount for price tags and the money-back guarantee.
His problem with the practice of haggling flowed out of his spiritual roots. He claimed that “if everyone was equal before God, then everyone should be equal before price.”
Proverbs 20:10 teaches, “Differing weights and differing measures— the Lord detests them both.”
Wanamaker’s knowledge of the Bible guided him into becoming known for his marketing brilliance and revolutionizing his industry. His pricing practices led a movement in his industry to treat people fairly in business, and also encouraged others to turn to God’s word.
