S6·E41 R.H. Macy: Merchant Prince

Born into a seafaring family on Nantucket, Rowland H. Macy took only one voyage on a whale-ship before turning his back on the sea. Entering business instead, he saw four failures before launching the store that revolutionized the world of shopping. R.H. Macy's New York shop became the model for the modern department store-by his death in 1878 Macy's was recording sales of over $1 million a year. R.H. Macy: Merchant Prince presents the complete story of this retail pioneer and traces the empire that formed around his name. Witness rare photographs and expert commentary, take a tour of the flagship Macy's, and learn how the Straus family took over the business after Macy's death and transformed it into the world's largest single store. Join Biography for the definitive portrait of R.H. Macy, entrepreneur, visionary, and founding father of the department store.