Marketing theory can be advanced through retrospective studies by exploring some historical research methods and their relevance to contemporary marketing theory and practice. This paper shows that the roots of modern marketing practice in the Australasian context can be examined, for example, using the historical records of department store retailers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The findings demonstrate the early development of marketing techniques including direct mail, sales promotion, trade promotion, customer loyalty schemes and supply chain innovation. Many ‘modern’ practices such as one-stop shopping were in place long ago in department stores. Arguably, the ahistorical nature of marketing research means that today’s managers frequently recreate wheels, rather than build new ones. The challenge for researchers is to consider using historical studies to advance theory and practice.