WHAT:
Mail Order
WHERE:
Broad Street, Newton, Wales
LOCATION:
WHEN:
3rd October 1859
WHO:
Sir Pryce Pryce-Jones
DETAILS:
Pryce Jones was the pioneer behind the first international mail order business, he revolutionized commerce from his hometown of Newtown, Wales. On October 3, 1859, he sent his first flannel swatches by penny post, recognizing the potential of reaching customers beyond Newtown. This marked the beginning of his mail order enterprise, which delivered Welsh woollen fabrics worldwide by road, rail, and sea.
Born in Llanllwchaiarn, Newtown in 1834, Pryce Jones worked as an apprentice before opening his own draper’s shop in 1859. His reputation grew through exhibitions across the UK and internationally, attracting loyal and royal customers, including Queen Victoria, who knighted him in 1887.
In 1879, he expanded his business by opening the Pryce Jones Royal Welsh Warehouse near Newtown Railway Station, cementing his global influence in modern mail order retail.
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