Based in Mississippi, Southern Pipe is family-owned and was founded in 1938. Southern Pipe and Supply Co., Inc. sells pipes and anything that connects to them. Serving everyone from contractors and homeowners to commercial real estate property owners, Southern Pipe sells plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning supplies through more than 90 stores located throughout seven southeastern states. The company operates a central distribution center and a handful of Southern Bath & Kitchen showrooms that feature various products for homeowners. Southern Pipe's vendors include dozens of supply companies and manufacturers such as MOEN, Kohler, and Amana Heating and Air Conditioning.

Big Dog Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of footwear and accessories for men and women in the United States. It also engages in developing, marketing, and retailing lifestyle collection of consumer products, including active wear, casual sportswear, accessories, and gifts for men, women, and children. The company operates in two segments, TWC and Big Dog Sportswear. The TWC segment operates footwear and accessories retail stores. Its products include work, formal, sport and active, casual, and all-weather footwear, as well as sandals, boots, slippers, and accessories. This segment also offers its products through catalog and Internet. As of December 31, 2007, it operated 186 stores in 38 states and the District of Columbia. The Big Dog Sportswear segment offers adult unisex activewear and casual sportswear, including screen-printed and embroidered t-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, knit and woven casual shirts, fleece tops and bottoms, loungewear, boxer shorts, swimwear, and sleepwear; big-size apparel; and graphic t-shirts, shirts, fleece items, infant and toddler one-pieces, boxer shorts, dresses, and shorts for infants, toddlers, kids, and the youth. It also offers adult's and children's non-apparel items, including pet products, plush animals and other toys, sporting goods, stationery, calendars, and lunch boxes. In addition, this segment sells its products through catalog and Internet. As of March 1, 2008, it operated 100 retail stores. The Walking Company Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California.

B&R Stores operates about 20 supermarkets in six cities across Nebraska and Iowa that operate under the Super Saver,Russ's Market,and ALPS(an acronym for Always Low Price Store) banners.The stores offer the usual grocery selections as well as carpet cleaner and video rentals.Other specialties include smoked meat products produced by in-store smokehouses at all Super Saver stores.The regional grocery chain was founded in 1962 by Russ Raybould (father of company president Pat Raybould) and Clayton Burnett.The Raybould family owns a majority stake in B&R Stores;employees own the rest.

Tuesday Morning offers big discounts every day of the week, but not every week of the year. The closeout retailer sells discontinued merchandise from name-brand manufacturers at steep discounts. Its merchandise typically includes linens, china, cookware, rugs, and collectibles that are not seconds, irregulars, or factory rejects. Tuesday Morning's 850 stores, located in more than 40 states, operate only during monthly "sale events" (with the exception of January and July). The retailer keeps costs down by selling from low-rent locations and using seasonal help -- only about 20% of its workers are full-time employees. Its customers are primarily women from middle- and upper-income households.

Pamida Stores Operating Co. offers more small-town values than a bandwagon of Republicans on the campaign trail. The rural retailer operates 200-plus Pamida general merchandise discount stores in about 15 states, mostly in the Midwest. The stores are located in small towns (5,500 people, on average), most of which are not served by mass merchandisers, such as Wal-Mart. Pamida's stores sell brand-name and private-label apparel, jewelry, health and beauty aids, housewares, electronics, and lawn and garden supplies. Most stores also sell groceries and two-thirds have in-store pharmacies. Formerly a division of ShopKo Stores, Pamida and ShopKo are portfolio companies of private equity firm Sun Capital Partners.

Food Lion brand products accounts for about 20% of sales. Founded in 1957 as Food Town, Food Lion is the largest US subsidiary of Delhaize America, a subsidiary of Brussels-based grocer Delhaize.Food Lion is a king among grocery chains in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions where it operates about 1,330 supermarkets under the Food Lion, Bloom, Bottom Dollar, and Harveys banners. About half of the company's stores are in the Carolinas, but it also has outlets in nine other states, including Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee. Food Lion, which prides itself on extra low prices, has taken a beating from low-cost competitors, most notably Wal-Mart Supercenters, and a weak economy.

AUTOBACS SEVEN was founded in 1947. AUTOBACS SEVEN is driven to provide one-stop shopping to Japanese motorists. The company sells automotive items at about 520 stores throughout Japan, under the names AUTOBACS, Super AUTOBACS, AUTO Helloes, and AUTOBACS Hashiriya Tengoku, among others. AUTOBACS are small, automotive convenience-type stores, while the larger-sized Super AUTOBACS carry a broad range of auto products. The Hashiriya Tengoku locations boast used parts. AUTOBACS also provides safety inspections and maintenance services, and it sells cars and gas. In 2009 the company sold its US arm, AUTOBACS STRAUSS (acquired in 2007), and exited the US market.

Luckily, Ace has John Madden up its sleeve. Despite the growth of warehouse-style competitors, Ace Hardware has remained a household name, thanks to ads featuring Madden, a former Oakland Raiders football coach and retired TV commentator. By sales the company is the #1 hardware cooperative in the US, ahead of Do It Best. Ace dealer-owners operate about 4,500 Ace Hardware stores, home centers, and lumber and building materials locations in all 50 US states and more than 60 other countries. From about 15 warehouses Ace distributes such products as electrical and plumbing supplies, garden equipment, hand tools, housewares, and power tools. Its paint division is also a major paint manufacturer in the US.

Through its eponymous print catalog and e-commerce site, Dr. Leonard's Healthcare Corp. offers a variety of health products aimed at seniors, along with clothing, collectibles, exercise equipment, home furnishings, housewares, and shoes. It also runs Carol Wright Gifts, an affiliated catalog and online retailer that sells similar merchandise as well as kitchen gadgets, travel items, gardening supplies, and holiday gifts. The company was established in 1979 by Dr. Leonard Feldman, and it operates as a subsidiary of direct marketing giant AmeriMark Holdings.

Argos is one of the UK's leading retail outlets with about 745 locations throughout the country and in Ireland. The chain sells a wide variety of products, including consumer electronics, electrical appliances, jewelry, and toys, as well as other household goods and furniture. It also sells gardening supplies, power tools, and sporting equipment. In addition to its stores, Argos sells goods through its catalog and Web site. It is the flagship brand of the Home Retail Group (formerly Argos Retail Group), which was spun-off by GUS and began trading on the London Stock Exchange in 2006. You might not find the Golden Fleece, but this multi-channel, general merchandise retailer offers plenty of other treasures.

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