The Peacock Group has only just begun to display its full colorful strut, even though it's been fluttering around for more than a century. Founded in 1884 as Peacock's Penny Bazaar, the value-priced fashion retailer operates two chains: Peacock's, with 460 UK stores and about 45 franchised locations in Turkey, the Middle East, Ukraine, and Russia, sells women's and men's apparel and accessories; and about 380 Bonmarche shops that offer women's apparel in sizes 12 to 24. Peacock Group supplies its own stores, as well as several other chains, with branded women's, men's, and children's apparel and footwear. The company was taken private in 2006 in a deal backed by Goldman Sachs, Perry Capital, and Och Ziff.

GOME serves China's growing appetite for techno toys, digital doodads, and modern household conveniences. One of China's leading electronics retailers by sales, GOME (formerly China Eagle Group) sells consumer electronics and household appliances from about 860 stores in more than 200 large and medium sized cities. Most locations offer rental and repairs and a handful are completely dedicated to digital electronics. Audio visual products (TVs, DVD and CD players, VCRs, stereos) make up about a third of GOME's sales. The company plans to expand into smaller cities and continue opening its all-digital stores. Kwong Yu Wong and his wife Juan Du, own more than a third of GOME's shares.

GULFEAGLE is a full line distributor of residential and commercial roofing and building products that offers jobsite delivery to our customers. The company was originally founded as Gulfside Supply, Inc. in 1973 by Mr. Jim Resch. Mr. Resch remains as the current owner and CEO. The company started in Tampa, Florida with one branch and has grown to over 50 locations nationwide. This growth has come from acquisitions, start-up locations, and diversity of products. The first acquisition was Service Lumber in Jacksonville in 1975. Others include Southern Diversified in Miami, Sun Supply in Melbourne, United Wholesale in Pompano, Ft. Myers and Sarasota and Stringfellow Supply in Gainesville. In 1995 a major step was taken by acquiring American Wholesale which included locations in Huntsville, Montgomery, Dothan, Mobile, Pensacola and Panama City. The Standard/ Bieler acquisition further expanded into South Florida. In 1997 the company acquired Roofline Supply in Macon, Georgia. New start-ups over the years include Orlando, Sarasota, Ft. Myers, Daytona, Tallahassee, Decatur, Alabama, St. Petersburg, Ft. Pierce, Palm Coast and Buda, TX.

Cash Converters International makes cash advances in return for used merchandise, including electronics, jewelry, musical instruments, tools, and more, which it resells to the public. The second-hand goods retailer and pawnbroker operates about 500 franchised and company-owned stores in its home country of Australia and another 20 countries worldwide, including Canada, the US, and the UK. The company also offers customers cash advances on their paychecks. Stores operate under the Cash Converters banner. Texas-based EZCORP acquired a 30% stake in the firm in 2009.

Big Lots, Inc. is the nation's #1 broadline closeout retailer, with some 1,360 Big Lots stores (down from a high of 1,500 at the start of 2005) in 47 states. (More than one-third of its stores are located in California, Florida, Ohio, and Texas.) It sells a variety of brand-name products that have been overproduced, returned, discontinued, or result from liquidations, typically at 20%-40% below discounters' prices, as well as private-label items and furniture. Its wholesale division, Big Lots Wholesale, sells its discounted merchandise to a variety of retailers, manufacturers, distributors, and other wholesalers.

WinWholesale Inc. is a leading supplier of domestic and industrial supplies and materials headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. The privately-held company consists of more than 450 wholesaling corporations in which WinWholesale is an equity partner, and also Noland Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary. Noland is a wholesaler with more than 70 locations mainly in the Southeast. Collectively, WinWholesale is referred to as “The Win Group of Companies". In the group are companies conducting business-to-business wholesale distribution of plumbing and heating supplies; industrial pipes, valves and fittings; heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment; electrical equipment; industrial and commercial fastening hardware; waterworks and utility supplies; and domestic, commercial and industrial pumps.

Hannaford Bros. may have started as a fruit and vegetable stand in 1883, but it has expanded from its Maine roots to become an upscale grocer with more than 170 stores under the Hannaford Supermarkets banner throughout Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, upstate New York, and Vermont. Still, produce continues to be a major focus at the Hannaford supermarkets, as are expansive meat selections and natural food products. More than 75% of the Hannaford stores are combination grocery stores and pharmacies. The stores average about 48,500 sq. ft. Maine's largest supermarket chain, Hannaford Bros. is owned by Delhaize America (parent of Food Lion), which in turn is owned by Belgium's Delhaize Group.

YGM Trading Limited company has filled its products portfolio by purchasing many of its brands from foreign companies. YGM spun off Hang Ten as its own publicly traded company in 2003. YGM Trading company offers a frequent buyer's program and its own Visa card. Don't be surprised to find YGM Trading in your closet. The apparel manufacturer, distributor, and retailer offers fashions under the brand names Michel Rene (private label), Aquascutum, Guy Laroche Femme (owns and licenses), Charles Jourdan, Ashworth (golf), and (20% owned) Hang Ten. Its 800 shops are located mostly in China, as well as Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the US. It boasts a presence in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

Louis Brockway and Fred Smith founded their namesake company in 1890. Brockway-Smith has found the right opening to success. Doing business as BROSCO, Brockway-Smith company is a wholesale distributor of millwork products throughout New England. Products, including doors, windows, and specialty millwork, as well as columns, mantels, moldings, posts, and stairs, are sold by a network of dealers in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Rhode Island. Brockway-Smith operates through four distribution centers in Massachusetts, New York, and Maine. Customers include architects, building materials dealers, and contractors.

Grace's offers catering and gift baskets. Due to popular demand the company has opened a second location, on Long Island, and a takeout shop in La Guardia Airport. The market was opened in 1985 by Joseph and Grace Balducci Doria (whose parents founded Balducci's) and is now run by their children.Grace quite easily makes the final cut in the "Mother of the Year" contest. Grace's Marketplace offers gourmet foods through its storefront in the Upper East End of New York City and also operates Italian eatery, Grace's Trattoria, on the same city block. In addition to its deli items, fresh-baked goods and meats.

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