WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18: SIX MORE SHOPPING DAYS

Profile America — Tuesday, December 18th.  Counting today, there are just seven more shopping days until Christmas.  This coming weekend promises to be the busiest time of the season, as bustling crowds of shoppers descend on malls and shopping centers across the country.  Faced with the hassle of getting to and then finding a parking place at these facilities, a growing number of people have turned to mail-order catalogs and ordering gifts online.  These businesses sell more than $234.5 billion worth of goods each year.  Close to half of that annual total comes from people sitting down at a computer and ordering merchandise online.  Each year, Americans spend a total of more than $3.6 trillion at the nation's retail stores.  You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 1055, 1056

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