History of Factory Wares

Retail: Selling The Wares

Until the early 18th century pots were bought directly from the craftsman who made them.  As the century progressed and manufactories grew in size, packhorse salesmen were employed to supply ware to country shops.  Given the fragile nature of the goods, this was not an ideal selling system.
 
In keeping with the current fashion Spode set up his own showroom in London to attract the direct patronage of the upper classes.  These warehouses marked a revolution in shopping, their elegant rooms with ever changing displays allowed customers to browse and buy and socialise in one place.

By the early 19th century most of the larger towns had a specialist china and glass merchant who sold both "off the shelf" and supplied customer orders.  Certain dealers began to order exclusive designs, which often bore their own retailer's mark. Spode & Copeland, the company's London retail outlet of the 1820s, supplied several of these china merchants, such as Thomas Goode & Co.  Later in the century, the independent china shops were to give way to department stores.

 

The Western Exchange 1817