Milestones in Commerce: June’s Brand & Retail Firsts
- Rich Honiball
- Jun 1
- 8 min read
June is a month of commercial milestones, where some of the world’s most iconic brands, retail formats, and industry innovations made their debut or changed the game. From the rise of luxury and mass market, to revolutions in how we move, eat, shop, and connect, these moments are more than business trivia - they’re the “why” behind the brands and habits we take for granted.
Here’s how commerce leveled up, one June at a time.
🏨 June 1, 1898 – The Ritz Paris Opens in High Style
The Ritz Paris didn’t just open its doors - it redefined what a luxury hotel could be. With private baths, telephones in every room, and electric lighting, César Ritz set the bar for 20th-century hospitality and became the template for modern elegance. The Ritz brand legacy would later cross the Atlantic and inspire the creation of the Ritz-Carlton chain in the U.S., making “Ritz” synonymous with high-end hotels worldwide. Interesting Fact: César Ritz’s wife, Marie-Louise, personally oversaw details like peach-colored towels (to flatter skin tones) and grand staircases wide enough for the era’s extravagant gowns.
🏪 June 2, 1962 – Walmart Opens First Store
Sam Walton opened his first Walmart in Rogers, Arkansas, chasing a simple but radical idea: sell more for less and pass savings on to customers. Walmart’s discount retail model revolutionized rural economies, streamlined logistics, and created a global retail behemoth. Interesting Fact: The first Walmart was a Ben Franklin franchise. Walton only rebranded it later - now, Walmart is the largest company by revenue worldwide.
🧘 June 3, 1998 – Lululemon Founded
Chip Wilson founded Lululemon Athletica in Vancouver, blending technical athletic wear with yoga culture. Lululemon didn’t just ride the athleisure wave - it built a brand where retail, community, and experience blurred together. Interesting Fact: The original Lululemon space was both a design studio and a yoga studio, mixing retail with live events before experiential retail was even a buzzword.
🛒 June 4, 1937 – The Shopping Cart Rolls Out
Oklahoma grocer Sylvan Goldman watched shoppers struggle with heavy baskets, so he invented the shopping cart - a simple, folding metal contraption that made it easier (and more profitable) to fill up on groceries. Though met with skepticism and even ridicule at first, hired “decoy shoppers” helped normalize the cart, making it one of the most quietly transformative retail innovations of the 20th century. Interesting Fact: Early customers resisted - men thought carts looked unmanly, women said they resembled baby carriages. Retailers had to literally stage “fake” adoption to make them mainstream.
💻 June 5, 1977 – The Apple II Launches the Personal Computer Boom
Apple’s Apple II made computing accessible and appealing to homes and businesses, fueling the growth of software retail, the birth of Silicon Valley, and a new era for tech-driven commerce. Interesting Fact: VisiCalc, the spreadsheet program, was the Apple II’s “killer app” - prompting businesses to buy the computer just for that one application.
🧊 June 6, 1930 – The Birth of Frozen Food Retail
Frozen food was sold in retail stores for the first time, marking a revolutionary moment in food preservation and retail distribution. Clarence Birdseye and his company, Birdseye Seafoods Inc., introduced a line of frozen foods in 18 stores in Springfield, Massachusetts, fundamentally transforming how people preserved and consumed food. Interesting Fact: The very first Birdseye-branded freezers were leased to stores because most grocers couldn’t afford to buy them outright - proving that even revolutions in retail sometimes need a payment plan.
🛒 June 7, 1995 – Amazon.com Registers Its Domain
Jeff Bezos registered the domain name "Amazon.com," marking the beginning of what would become one of the world's largest online retailers. Initially conceived as an online bookstore, Amazon quickly diversified its offerings, revolutionizing the way consumers shop and setting new standards for e-commerce logistics and customer service. Interesting Fact: Bezos chose the name "Amazon" to reflect the vast selection of books he planned to offer, drawing inspiration from the world's largest river to signify scale and ambition.
🗃️ June 8, 1887 – IBM’s Technological Foundation
On June 8, 1887, Herman Hollerith was granted a U.S. patent for his Electric Tabulating System - a breakthrough that marks a foundational moment in modern computing and data processing technology. Interesting Fact: After its success in the census, Hollerith’s company evolved through mergers into the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company in 1911, which was later renamed IBM in 1924.
🏷️ June 15, 1983 – Costco Opens First Warehouse
The first Costco warehouse opened in Seattle, kicking off a membership-based retail model that changed how businesses and families shop. Costco pioneered bulk pricing, limited selection, and treasure-hunt merchandising, building fierce customer loyalty and a global footprint. Interesting Fact: The famous $1.50 hot dog and soda combo - introduced in the early years - has never increased in price, a point of pride for the company.
🚗 June 16, 1903 – Ford Motor Company Founded
Henry Ford launched Ford Motor Company in Detroit with just $28,000 and a promise to make cars affordable for everyone. The introduction of the Model T and Ford’s moving assembly line didn’t just change manufacturing - they put America on wheels, built the backbone for middle-class mobility, and created a blueprint for global mass production.
Interesting Fact: Ford Motor Company was profitable within its first year, a rare feat then and now. The company’s assembly line later became the model for everything from appliances to computers.
🛒 June 16, 2017 – Amazon Acquires Whole Foods, Blurring Retail Lines
Amazon bought Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, signaling the end of “online vs. offline” and the beginning of truly unified commerce. The deal gave Amazon instant physical presence, a premium grocery brand, and a nationwide playground for omnichannel innovation. Interesting Fact: The first thing Amazon did after closing the deal was cut prices on Whole Foods’ bestsellers - proving digital disruption can move at “Prime” speed in brick-and-mortar too.
✈️ June 18, 1971 – Southwest Airlines Takes Off
Southwest Airlines started flying between Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston with just three planes, upending the airline business with low fares, fast turnarounds, and a playful culture. The airline’s model made air travel accessible to millions and forced the entire industry to evolve. Interesting Fact: Southwest’s ticker is “LUV,” named after Dallas Love Field and the cheeky, customer-first vibe the airline embraced from day one.
🎵 June 21, 1948 – Columbia Records Debuts the LP
Columbia Records launched the 33⅓ RPM long-playing (LP) vinyl record, turning the music industry upside down. Suddenly, listeners could enjoy albums, not just singles, and music retail moved from sheet music and jukeboxes to racks of records that shaped pop culture and retail for generations. Interesting Fact: The very first commercial LP was Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, a nod to Columbia’s confidence in the format’s appeal to both classical and mainstream audiences.
🧾 June 26, 1974 – The First UPC Barcode is Scanned
Retail’s digital age began when a pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum at a Marsh supermarket in Ohio became the first item scanned by a UPC barcode. The system made high-speed checkout, inventory control, and modern retail logistics possible. Interesting Fact: That first scanned pack of gum - and the receipt - are now in the Smithsonian, marking the official start of barcodes in commerce.
🕹️ June 27, 1972 – Atari Kicks Off the Video Game Industry
Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney founded Atari after inventing Pong, setting off the video game revolution. What started in arcades soon fueled a home gaming boom and a new kind of retail - one that would someday rival Hollywood. Interesting Fact: “Atari” is a term from the Japanese game Go, roughly meaning “you’re about to win.” Bushnell wanted a name that sounded positive and was alphabetically early.
✈️ June 28, 1939 – Pan Am Launches Transatlantic Air Travel
Pan American Airways made history with the first-ever scheduled transatlantic passenger flight, connecting New York to Lisbon on the Dixie Clipper. The feat shrank the world for business and leisure travelers, laying the groundwork for global trade, mass tourism, and the cross-border movement of goods and people. Interesting Fact: Travelers paid deposits years ahead to secure seats on the inaugural flight. The journey included gourmet meals and champagne service, kicking off the golden age of international air travel.
⭐ June 28, 1926 – Benz & Daimler Merge to Form Mercedes-Benz
The 1926 merger between Benz & Cie. and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft ended decades of rivalry, creating the powerhouse that is Mercedes-Benz. By pooling innovation, engineering, and brand equity, the newly formed company weathered economic storms and established a legacy of luxury, performance, and design excellence. Interesting Fact: The Mercedes-Benz logo - the three-pointed star encircled by a laurel wreath - symbolizes domination of land, sea, and air. It’s a direct blend of both original companies’ emblems.
🌏 June 28, 1999 – Alibaba Founded in a Hangzhou Apartment
Jack Ma and a scrappy team launched Alibaba, connecting Chinese small businesses to buyers worldwide and redefining global e-commerce. What started as a B2B marketplace quickly grew into a sprawling ecosystem that helped transform the way the world shops online. Interesting Fact: The name “Alibaba” was picked for its global recognition and association with “Open Sesame” - unlocking opportunities for millions of businesses.
🛣️ June 29, 1956 – The U.S. Interstate Highway System Created
President Eisenhower’s signature on the Federal-Aid Highway Act authorized the build-out of America’s interstate highways. The impact? Fast-food giants (McDonald’s), hotel chains (Holiday Inn), and family restaurants (Howard Johnson’s) expanded across the map, forever changing retail, supply chains, and how Americans travel, shop, and eat. Interesting Fact: Eisenhower was inspired by Germany’s autobahns. Urban legend claims every fifth mile is dead straight for emergency landings, but that’s just folklore.
📱 June 29, 2007 – The First iPhone Goes on Sale
The iPhone’s debut wasn’t just a product launch - it was the start of the smartphone era, changing how consumers shop, interact, and manage their lives. Mobile commerce exploded, apps became retail storefronts, and the entire world got used to “swipe to buy.” Interesting Fact: Microsoft’s CEO laughed off the iPhone as a toy for consumers. Less than a decade later, Apple had the last laugh - dominating both tech and retail.
🏎️ June 30, 1953 – The First Chevrolet Corvette is Born
GM rolled out the first production Chevrolet Corvette, America’s answer to European sports cars. With its sleek fiberglass body, the Corvette quickly became an icon - fueling dreams, car culture, and an enduring love affair with the American sports car. Interesting Fact: Only 300 Corvettes were built in 1953, all white with red interiors. Today, those originals fetch seven figures at auction.
From luxury to low prices, main streets to digital marketplaces, June’s milestones prove that retail and commerce are anything but static. These aren’t just corporate anniversaries - they’re the inflection points where habits, expectations, and the world itself shifted. If you want to know where commerce is headed, watch what happens every June. The next milestone could be right around the corner.
If you like this content and want more detailed information about these and more brands celebrating milestones in the month of June, visit the Retail Relates Substack "Hub" where I post this and more:
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