Gary Comer
By the time Gary Comer reached his thirties‚ he was already an award-winning copywriter‚ champion sailor and world traveler. In 1963‚ he added entrepreneur to his list of accomplishments when he and four friends opened Lands’ End in a basement office on Chicago’s Elston Avenue.
Launched as a mail-order operation for yachting gear‚ the business filled about 15 orders on a good day. It took the team three years to see a real profit‚ and those returns had little to do with fashion. There were 84 pages to the Lands’ End Yachtsman’s Equipment Guide‚ Gary’s first catalog. Only two or three pages featured any clothes at all. And right there‚ on our very first cover‚ was a typo.
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
From the beginning‚ Gary set out to make Lands' End different. While others took weeks to deliver a catalog order‚ Gary made sure orders shipped within two days. Keenly aware that returning catalog purchases could be frustrating‚ he instituted the company's return policy: Guaranteed. Period.® If you're not satisfied with any item, simply return it to us at any time.
Gary also relied on his advertising roots, and the help of Creative Director Bernie Roer, to create a catalog unlike any other. Models looked like real people. Breezy copy told engaging stories. And quality products lured readers in until they could almost feel the softness of a knit shirt or the warmth of a wool sweater.
The company grew with every innovation. By 1977‚ Lands' End was a million-dollar business and it was time to move.
THE SEA, BY WAY OF WISCONSIN
There was something about Wisconsin's rolling farmland and friendly Midwestern ways that impressed Gary Comer. He liked the rural work ethic‚ and the promise of a bigger corporate campus that would give him the chance to pursue a new goal: helping employees and their families lead healthier lives.
By the 1980s‚ Lands' End was headquartered in Dodgeville‚ Wisconsin. Within 10 years‚ Gary had built his dream: a multimillion-dollar employee fitness center that would eventually offer dozens of wellness programs‚ an on-site medical clinic‚ day care and recreational activities.