Balkamp was formed in 1936 by the NAPA board of directors. Its moniker blends the surnames of the company's first managers, John Baldwin and Bob Leercamp. A majority-owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts, Balkamp distributes parts and accessories for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and farm equipment to repair shops and retail members of the National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA). The company also provides diagnostics equipment, cleaning supplies, chemicals, and other service-related items. Balkamp offers some 45,000 items from about 600 domestic and foreign suppliers. It operates distribution centers in Indianapolis and Plainfield, Indiana and West Jordan, Utah.

Macy’s, Inc., with corporate offices in Cincinnati and New York, is one of the nation’s premier retailers, with fiscal 2009 sales of $23.5 billion. The company operates about 810 Macy’s department stores and furniture galleries in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico, as well as macys.com The Bloomingdale’s brand includes 40 stores in 12 states and bloomingdales.com. Macy’s, Inc.’s diverse workforce includes approximately 161,000 employees. Prior to June 1, 2007, Macy’s, Inc. was known as Federated Department Stores, Inc. The company’s shares are traded under the symbol “M” on the New York Stock Exchange.

Duane Reade takes its name from the Company's first successful full-service drugstore, which opened in 1960 on Broadway between Duane and Reade Streets in Manhattan. (Yes, we know they don’t intersect…it makes for a better picture!) Since then, Duane Reade has grown to become the most recognized drugstore chain in metropolitan New York. Today, the Company operates over 253 stores in commercial and residential neighborhoods throughout New York. Duane Reade's conveniently located stores carry an extensive assortment of items, including those from the pharmacy as well as vitamins, nutritional products, cosmetics, greeting cards and photo processing. Duane Reade Inc. has ranked as the fastest-growing drugstore chain in the industry, and is number one in sales per square foot. Duane Reade completed its initial public offering of common stock on February 10, 1998.

American Home operates three (down from a dozen in 2007) furniture and housewares stores in New Mexico under the American Home banner. Its products include mostly mid-priced (but some upscale) home furnishings (Kemp, Hillcraft, Natuzzi, DeCoro), lamps, bedding (Sealy, Simmons, Tempur-Pedic), rugs, dinnerware, related accessories, and gift registry and interior design services. Founded in 1936 as American Furniture Company by Emanuel Blaugrund, the company changed its name to American Home in 2000. The furniture retailer emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2010 after closing most of its stores, including all of its locations in Arizona.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co., through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of casual apparel for men, women, and kids. The company sells casual sportswear apparel, including knit and woven shirts, graphic t-shirts, fleece, jeans and woven pants, shorts, sweaters, outerwear, personal care products, and accessories under the Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, and Hollister brands. It also offers bras, underwear, sleepwear, and at-home products for women under the Gilly Hicks brand. The company sells products through its stores; direct-to-consumer operations; and Websites, which include abercrombie.com, abercrombiekids.com, hollisterco.com, and gillyhicks.com. As of January 30, 2010, it operated 1,096 stores in North America, Europe, and Asia. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. was founded in 1892 and is headquartered in New Albany, Ohio.

T.K. Maxx takes bargain-hunting to the max. A subsidiary of US-based TJX Companies, T.K. Maxx is a leading off-price retailer in Europe. Launched in 1994, T.J. Maxx operates about 225 stores in the UK and Ireland and another 10 in Germany. The stores, which measure about 32,000 square feet, sell steeply discounted designer and brand-name apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and children; toys; sporting goods; furniture and assorted housewares, among other things. The deep-discount retailer has been expanding its footwear and accessories departments, which now number about 25. Ultimately, T.K. Maxx plans to grow to about 275 stores the UK and Ireland and as many as 300 stores in Germany.

Siam FamilyMart may be the second-largest convenience store chain in Thailand, but it still has a long way to go to catch up with #1: Seven-Eleven Japan. The fast-growing company operates more than 550 convenience stores throughout Thailand, about a tenth the number of its larger rival. The stores offer hot and cold snacks and beverages, sandwiches, rice balls, cigarettes, and other convenience items. Established in 1993, FamilyMart is a subsidiary of Japan's FamilyMart chain of convenience stores. The company franchises its individual stores and provides support in the form of managerial advice, training, advertising, promotions, store equipment, and the preparation of annual tax documents.

Casual Living and Patio Center is an outdoor furniture retailer. Through its four locations in Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, the company offers a wide selection of patio furniture, such as ergonomically designed steel seating, rattan lounges, and sets featuring stone and patterned tabletops. It also carries gas grills, fireplaces, fire screens (including glass and custom-made sets), and faux logs. Stores also offer custom orders and statewide delivery services.

The CARQUEST group includes a network of about 40 distribution centers serving more than 3,400 distributor-owned and independent jobbers in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The company sells its own line of auto parts (made by Moog Automotive, Dana, Gates, and others) to the jobbers, as well as wholesalers, for eventual resale to professional repair centers, service stations, dealerships, and, to a lesser degree, do-it-yourself (DIY) customers. Searching for a sensor, solenoid, or switches? CARQUEST can steer you in the right direction. The replacement auto parts distribution group is owned by its member warehouse distributors (the largest is North Carolina-based General Parts).

The firm was founded by Bill Crutchfield in 1974 and was one of the first electronics retailers to launch an e-commerce site. In 2009 it launched a mobile version of its site. Crutchfield's catalog is mailed to about 6 million households. Crutchfield wants you to lean on it when choosing consumer electronics. The company sells high-tech wares via its website, catalog, and two retail stores in Virginia. Its products include TVs, DVD players, stereos, gaming systems, digital cameras and camcorders, and MP3 players. Crutchfield also sells automotive audio and video products, such as speakers, amplifiers, overhead screens, and navigation systems. It carries major brands, including Sony, Bose, Pioneer, and Kenwood.

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