Today, warehousing plays a crucial role in the global supply chain. The history of the warehouse as we know it now is ancient. The storehouse has existed since Ancient Rome in its earliest forms. In the Horrae Galbae, a collection of large buildings built close to the Tiber River in the second century BC, the Romans kept grains. They constructed the Horrea Galbae at this time, which resembles contemporary warehouses in that it was used to store and retrieve products.
The original warehouse was a vast complex of buildings along the Tiber River that encompassed roughly 225,000 square feet (about twice the area of a Manhattan city block) and included more than 140 different rooms. Along with a sizable public grain supply, it was also used to store imported items like wine, olive oil, and textiles.
The Horrae Galbae housed the general grain supply and stored imported products, including food, wine, and olive oil. The Horrae Galbae is the first known warehouse-like structure because it held commodities for both short- and long-term periods so they could be easily accessed and transported.
The evolution of warehouses in the late 1700s during the Industrial Revolution and how electricity and other technology advances during the Second Industrial Revolution changed the way inventory was stored. Sears, Roebuck & Co. was one of the first companies to see the possibilities of this expanding infrastructure.
Directions:
In a 2–3 page paper, PLUS including a title and reference page, research the mail-order corporation Sears, Roebuck & Co., which was the equivalent of Amazon.com at the time. They carried numerous products, including apparel, toys, appliances, medical supplies, and even home kits, which could be found in the Sears catalog. Detail how the company’s warehouse(s) operated, what methods they used to have the goods arrive at customers’ homes or businesses, and what impact the Sears catalog and especially the “Christmas Wish Book” had on how consumers shopped for products. Your paper must contain a title and reference page in APA 7 format, be written in Times New Roman 12 font, and be double-spaced.
Notes: Be sure to review the learning materials from the textbook, the learning unit, and other resources to complete this assignment.
