[2] The company primarily sold fashion apparel and accessories for women and men via its catalog.
[2] Soon after, Chicago Mail Order Company began offering a monthly payment plan to its customers, essentially granting credit; and expanded their line to include books, toys, and linens.
[2] In 1943, they built a large distribution warehouse in Chicago with 690,000 square feet of floor space.
[2] In 1944, they began to develop a retail network primarily in the Midwest (which eventually expanded to 16 stores by 1959).
[3] The catalog operation was liquidated in 1985 as part of bankruptcy proceedings for Wickes Companies, which had purchased Gamble-Skogmo in 1980.