Hammacher Schlemmer rises from the ashes to defy ecommerce enshittification
"Algorithms, shmalgorithms" sneer new owners, including founder of Woot
New York, NY — To a certain kind of shopper, the name Hammacher Schlemmer was famed from the 1950s to the 1990s for the inventive, sometimes outlandish products in its catalog, from the first pop-up toaster to a personal submarine to "The Nothing Box".
To another kind of shopper, the name Woot.com evokes a bygone time when the Internet was still fun. When stores competed for whose merchandising could be the most creative, not who could game the algorithms that rule Amazon and Google. When something called "the Bag o' Crap" could sell out in seconds.
Now those two legacies merge in a giant middle finger to the enshittified age as Hammacher Schlemmer has been acquired by the former Woot leadership team via their current company, Stores.com. The spirit of the Nothing Box meets the spirit of the Bag o' Crap.
"The heyday of catalog retail was an exciting time for lovers of shopping and storytelling, and none were more exciting than Hammacher Schlemmer," says Matt Rutledge, CEO of Stores.com and founder and ex-CEO of Woot.com. "We believe people are crying out for someone to bring that excitement back. And we believe we've got the team, the expertise, and the guts to do it."
While Rutledge and Stores.com still run the madcap daily deal store Meh, he's quick to clarify that Hammacher Schlemmer will not be about discount deals, but about recapturing the sense of wonder and discovery that made both Hammacher and Woot so legendary.
"We're revitalizing a revered brand known for 'The Best, the Only, and the Unexpected' with a team known for 'The Mediocre, the Cheap, and the Irreverent'," Rutledge says. "What's crazy is, I think we might just be the right people to do it."
A key piece of Hammacher Schlemmer's 178-year (!) heritage is its famous Lifetime Guarantee of Satisfaction, which will be honored for purchases at the new Hammacher Schlemmer.
"In an algorithmized, commoditized, throwaway era, when most retailers are nickel-and-diming customers on return policies, a Lifetime Guarantee of Satisfaction borders on absurd in the best possible way. We're keeping that promise alive. If future generations are going to understand what great service feels like, someone has to keep saying 'we'll make it right' long after everyone else has moved on."
Matt Rutledge, CEO of Stores.com, Inc.
The evolution has begun at hammacher.com, with more developments in the works.
About Stores.com, Inc.
Stores.com, Inc. is a multi-brand e-commerce company serving 17+ million customers across a growing portfolio of brands. The company operates MorningSave, Meh, Hammacher Schlemmer, SideDeal, and Shop Univision. Co-founded by Matt Rutledge, Shawn Miller, Luke Duff, and Dave Rutledge, Stores.com, Inc. is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Learn more at stores.com.
Press Contact
Jason Toon, Head of Brand Narrative
jason@stores.com