Harriet Carter
Encyclopedia
Harriet Carter Gifts Inc, founded by Harriet Carter, is an American
retailer that specializes in unique gifts and household products. Harriet Carter has been in business since 1958. It continues to maintain its headquarters in North Wales, PA near Plymouth Meeting, PA where it was founded. The company sells a variety of products through a print catalog and its website.
business in 1958. The kitchen served as the office and the Carter children helped their mother fulfill orders. The company found its first success selling five different styles of decorative wood switch-plate covers which were hand cut and stained in the family's basement. Besides switch-plate covers, the first catalog also featured products such as a set of Peter Rabbit
prints, a federal eagle mirror, a teak
desk caddy, a ski rack, a medieval wall lamp, and canned candles molded to look like fresh vegetables.
The company has grown from a home business
selling a handful of products via a catalog to a multi-channel retailer with 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²) of warehouse space selling over 1,000 products.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
retailer that specializes in unique gifts and household products. Harriet Carter has been in business since 1958. It continues to maintain its headquarters in North Wales, PA near Plymouth Meeting, PA where it was founded. The company sells a variety of products through a print catalog and its website.
History
Harriet Carter Gifts started as a home based mail orderMail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
business in 1958. The kitchen served as the office and the Carter children helped their mother fulfill orders. The company found its first success selling five different styles of decorative wood switch-plate covers which were hand cut and stained in the family's basement. Besides switch-plate covers, the first catalog also featured products such as a set of Peter Rabbit
Peter Rabbit
Peter Rabbit is a fictional anthropomorphic character in various children's stories by Beatrix Potter. He first appeared in The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902, and subsequently in five more books between 1904 and 1912. Spinoff merchandise includes dishes, wallpaper, and dolls...
prints, a federal eagle mirror, a teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
desk caddy, a ski rack, a medieval wall lamp, and canned candles molded to look like fresh vegetables.
The company has grown from a home business
Home business
A home business is a small business that operates from the business owner's home office. In addition to location, home businesses are usually defined by having a very small number of employees, usually all immediate family of the business owner, in which case it is also a family business...
selling a handful of products via a catalog to a multi-channel retailer with 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²) of warehouse space selling over 1,000 products.