Consumers Distributing
Consumers Distributing (known in Quebec as Distribution aux Consommateurs, and informally as Consumers) was a catalogue store in Canada and the United States that operated from 1957 to 1996. At its peak, the company operated 243 outlets in Canada and 217 in the United States, including stores in every province in Canada and in the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, California and Nevada.
| Company type | Private (1957–1969) Public (1969–1996) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Catalogue store |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Founder | Jack Stupp |
| Defunct | 1996 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy |
| Headquarters | 6303 Airport Road , Mississauga, Ontario |
Number of locations | 243 (Canada) 217 (United States) |
Key people | Jack Stupp (President) |
| Products | Seasonal goods, jewellery, appliances, kitchenware, personal care, discount furniture, electronics, toys |
| Parent | Oshawa Group (1969–1987) Provigo (1987–1993) Ackermans & van Haaren (1993–1996) |
Consumers Distributing aimed to reduce costs for customers by stocking merchandise in a warehouse-type stocking system instead of displaying them in a costly showroom. Customers made their selections from a catalogue, filled out a form listing the items they wanted, then waited for stock staff to retrieve the items from the warehouse. The business model of Consumers Distributing has been described as "Internet shopping before the Internet".