WASHINGTON, March 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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TUESDAY MARCH 12: A PHILADELPHIA INSTITUTION

Profile America — Tuesday, March 12th.  One of the most famous department stores in America opened in Philadelphia on this date in 1877.  Wanamaker's, now absorbed into the Macy's family of department stores, opened in a converted train station and is now a national historic landmark.  The store was among the first in the country to make the experience of shopping as much a draw as the merchandise itself, pioneered the use of the price tag, and was the first to install a restaurant on the premises.  In the U.S. today, there are just over 3,500 traditional department stores, employing over a half-million people and generating nearly $77 billion in annual sales.  You can find more facts about America's people, places and economy from the American Community Survey at www.census.gov.

Sources:  2007 Economic Census, NAICS 452111

Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau