[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1473 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                    September 23, 2008.
Whereas, on October 28, 1858, 36-year-old entrepreneur Rowland Hussey Macy 
        opened a small dry goods store know as R.H. Macy & Co. at the corner of 
        14th Street and 6th Avenue in New York City;
Whereas the early struggles of R.H. Macy & Co. are representative of all 
        American small businesses and indicate the intense drive and spirit of 
        our Nation's entrepreneurs;
Whereas Rowland Hussey Macy adopted a red star as his symbol of success, dating 
        back to his days as a sailor, and had first-day sales totaling $11.06;
Whereas, after the first full year in operation, R.H. Macy & Co. had gross sales 
        of almost $90,000, and, by 1877, nearly 20 years after it was founded, 
        R.H. Macy & Co. had become a full-fledged department store occupying the 
        ground space of 11 adjacent buildings;
Whereas, as small businesses must evolve to remain competitive in the 
        marketplace, Macy's is known for several firsts that changed the retail 
        industry, including being the first retailer to promote a woman, 
        Margaret Getchell, to an executive position, pioneering such 
        revolutionary business practices as the one-price system, in which the 
        same item was sold to every customer at one price, and quoting specific 
        prices for goods in newspaper advertising;
Whereas the competitive pressures facing small retailers such as Macy's 
        compelled it to pursue creative merchandising initiatives, including 
        being the first to introduce such products as the tea bag, the Idaho 
        baked potato, and colored bath towels;
Whereas, by November 1902, the small store had outgrown its modest storefront 
        and moved uptown to its present Herald Square location on Broadway and 
        34th Street, establishing an attraction for shoppers from around the 
        world;
Whereas, as Macy's, Inc., has grown, it has not forgotten its heritage as a 
        small business and promoted small firms, pursued supplier diversity 
        initiatives, and assisted in the growth of talented entrepreneurs by 
        striving to purchase and support vendors who are certified as minority 
        or women owned;
Whereas Macy's, Inc., purchases goods and services from these small business 
        enterprises and encourages prospective suppliers to partner with it and 
        take advantage of its Supplier Diversity Program and provides 
        participating vendors with direction and guidance to help them plan and 
        ready for the strategic demands of a larger-scale retail relationship; 
        and
Whereas Macy's, Inc., held its first-ever national supplier diversity fair in 
        New York City in August 2007 targeting the minority- and women-owned 
        vendor community in the cosmetics and skincare categories with the goal 
        of enhancing Macy's existing assortment for its diverse multicultural 
        customer population: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes--
                    (A) the 150th anniversary year of the founding of Macy's, 
                Inc., as an American entrepreneurial success story; and
                    (B) the role Macy's, Inc., plays in supporting America's 
                small businesses and vendors, including those that are minority 
                and women owned;
            (2) celebrates the vision, innovativeness, and ingenuity of all of 
        our Nation's small businesses that aspire to grow and prosper as Macy's, 
        Inc., has over its 150-year history; and
            (3) congratulates Macy's, Inc., as an American entrepreneurial 
        success story.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.