[2] When the company was founded, Welcome Wagon "hostesses" would visit new homeowners with a gift basket containing samples, coupons, and advertising from contributing businesses.
[4] Welcome Wagon Canada, a separate company, continued to offer home visits until its closed in May 2020.
Welcome Wagon in Canada was founded in 1930 and was run for many years by Pauline Hill, who first became a Hostess in 1953 and advanced to be head of the company as CEO (1962–1990).
[2] Welcome Wagon Ltd. became a wholly Canadian-owned entity in 1979 when a group of Canadian managers purchased it outright from the US owners.
On June 26, 2009, the South Florida Media Group, publisher of South Florida-based local publications, acquired Welcome Wagon International, Inc.[9] In 2014, Welcome Wagon was sold to coupon company Money Mailer.