Tampico News Company

The Tampico News Company was a mail order business owned by Abraham Z. Ratner (1877 – 1919), a controversial character of Jewish origin, born in Lithuania. He settled in Tampico between 1895 and 1898 and opened the company in 1902.

Tampico News Co., Tampico

Ratner and his brother moved their business from Tampico in 1909, and branched out on a larger scale in Mexico City, occupying one whole building on Calle Palma and a salesroom on Avenida 16 de Septiembre. While the industries of Mexico were going at normal speed the mail order business thrived. Fifty young women were employed as typists to attend to the correspondence, and dozens of clerks and employees were required for the details of the business.

The Avenida 16 de Septiembre with the Banco de Londres y México on the left and the Tampico News Co. on the right

The company gave its clients vouchers (cupón económico) valued at one peso, to be redeemed when purchasing twenty pesos worth of goods "Como un obsequio á su numerosa clientela, la Tampico News Co., S. A. recibirá este certificado para descontar un peso en cada compra de veinte pesos que se nos haga acompañada de su importe".

The following voucher was limited to the two months of September and October 1911. "En conmemoreción del 101 Aniversario de la Independencia de México la Tampico News Co., S. A. recibirá este certificado por el valor arriba mencionado, por cada compra de Veinte pesos ó mas en, junto, acompañada del importe, que se nos haga desde el 1o. de Septiembre hasta el 31 de Octubre de 1911."

 These were signed by Abraham Z. Ratner as Presidente and Gerente General.

Abraham Z. Ratner