Apparel Stores

Auto Parts Stores

Catalog & Mail Order Houses

Department Stores

Discount, Variety Stores

Drug Stores

Electronics Stores

Grocery Stores

Home Furnishing Stores

Home Improvement Stores

Allied Building Products Corp.

Allied Building Products Corp. was founded in 1950 as a family-operated roofing and custom sheet metal fabrication business. Allied Building Products counts home builders and contractors as part of its circle of friends. Serving the commercial and residential construction markets, the company distributes exterior and interior building materials, including roofing, siding, drywall, and acoustical tile, from major manufacturers. Allied also markets products under its own Cutting Edge and Tri-Bilt brands. The firm operates about 180 branches in 30 states, and it maintains a fleet of more than 2,700 vehicles, including cranes and delivery trucks. Allied is a subsidiary of Oldcastle (itself a subsidiary of CRH).

PPR SA

PPR has transformed itself from a conglomerate to the world's third-largest luxury group (behind LVMH and Richemont). PPR's stable of global luxury brands includes a 99% stake in Italian luxury goods company Gucci Group, and luxury brands Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Boucheron, Bottega Veneta, Stella McCartney, and Yves Saint Laurent, among others. The group's other activities include the multichannel merchant Redcats, Fnac music and book stores, the Conforama chain of household furniture and appliance stores, and the German athletic shoemaker PUMA. More than half of PPR's sales are generated outside of its home country. PPR is run by Francois-Henri Pinault, the son of its founder Francois Pinault.

Bartle & Gibson Co. Ltd.

B&G was founded in 1944 by Charlie Bartle and Cecil Gibson. Bartle & Gibson (B&G) sounds like a classical guitar duet; though it's not, it does bring a certain harmony to the lives of its customers. Catering primarily to residential contractors, B&G is a leading independent wholesaler of plumbing, heating, electrical, and irrigation supplies in Canada. Bartle & Gibson Co. Ltd. operates about 30 branches in British Columbia, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories, offering such major brands as 3M, Bemis, Honeywell, Klein Tools, and OSRAM SYLVANIA. It is served by two distribution centers.

Orgill, Inc.

Orgill, Inc. is the nation’s largest independently owned hardlines distributor providing retailers across the United States and in more than 60 countries throughout the world access to more than 60,000 products and industry-leading retail services. Over the past decade Orgill, a privately held company based in Memphis, TN., has emerged as the fastest growing hardlines distributor in the United States. Orgill’s market-focused approach to distribution has earned the company a reputation of unsurpassed customer service. Through its mix of sophisticated marketing programs, low-cost distribution services, highly flexible programs and a corporate dedication to support the uniqueness of individual retailers, Orgill has emerged as a viable alternative to the industry’s co-operatives. With five domestic distribution centers and three export consolidation facilities, Orgill, Inc. distributes hardware and home improvement products to hardware, home improvement and building material retailers of all types and sizes.

Coburn Supply Company, Inc.

Coburn Supply was founded in 1934 by the late Albert J. Coburn. Coburn keeps things cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Coburn Supply distributes air-conditioning and heating equipment, builder, electrical, and plumbing products, refrigeration, and municipal and utility supplies. It operates offices and showrooms through about 30 locations in Louisiana, some 15 in Texas, and a few in Mississippi and Tennessee. Its featured manufacturers have included Trane (formerly American Standard), Cantex, Delta Faucet, Halsey-Taylor, and Maytag. Coburn Supply distributes its products to general, plumbing, HVAC, and mechanical contractors, as well as to home builders, municipalities, and public institutions.

Limited Brands, Inc.

Limited Brands, Inc. operates as a retailer of womens intimate and other apparel, beauty and personal care products, and accessories in the United States and Canada. It offers lingerie, fragrances, cosmetics, shower gels, lotions, antibacterial soaps, candles, accessories, and spa products under Victorias Secret, Pink, La Senza, Bath & Body Works, C. O. Bigelow, The White Barn Candle Company, and Henri Bendel brands. The company sells its merchandise through its specialty retail stores, Web sites, and catalogues. As of March 15, 2010, it operated 2,970 specialty stores. Limited Brands company was formerly known as The Limited, Inc. and changed its name to Limited Brands, Inc. in May 2002. Limited Brands, Inc. was founded in 1963 and is based in Columbus, Ohio.

Fa. Anton Schlecker

In Germany a trip to the corner drugstore is often a trip to Anton Schlecker. Fa. Anton Schlecker company is Germany's largest drugstore operator with about 10,650 discount retail outlets there. It also operates another 3,300 stores in about a dozen countries in Europe, including Austria, France, Italy, Poland, and Spain. Schlecker stores stock more than 4,000 product lines, including branded and private-label items. The shops also feature over-the-counter drugs, cosmetics, baby products, tobacco, photo services, and more. It is owned by German billionaire Anton Schlecker, who opened his first drugstore in 1975.

Emco Corporation

Emco is in good with construction workers. Emco Corporation company is one of Canada's leading makers and distributors of building products serving the residential, renovation, and new construction markets, as well as the commercial and industrial construction industries. Emco specializes in plumbing, waterworks, industrial, oilfield supply, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) products. The firm also provides geosynthetic products and services. Founded in 1906, Emco operates a network of more than 180 branches throughout Canada. Emco Corporation was acquired in 2003 by Ontario, Inc., an investment vehicle formed by Blackfriars Corp., an Illinois-based holding company.

Brookshire Grocery Company

Brookshire's stores average about 40,000 sq. ft., while its warehouse-style Super 1 Foods stores average 80,000 sq. ft. More than 110 of Brookshire Grocery's stores have pharmacy departments. Originally part of the Brookshire Brothers grocery chain (dating back to 1921), the company split from it in 1939. By selling staples, specialties, and Southern hospitality, Brookshire Grocery Co. has grown into a chain of about 155 Brookshire's, Super 1 Food, Olé Foods, and ALPS supermarkets in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The company also owns three distribution centers, a dairy, and BGC Manufacturing, its private label manufacturing unit.

Albert Heijn B.V.

In response, Albert Heijn has undergone an image makeover; from the most expensive supermarket in Holland to a price-competitive supermarket chain. There's nothing small time about Albert Heijn, who began selling groceries in the 1880s and whose namesake chain is now the #1 food retailer in the Netherlands. With more than 820 company-owned and franchised supermarkets and AH to Go convenience stores throughout the tiny country, the Albert Heijn chain is the flagship banner of Royal Ahold, contributing more than a third of its parent's sales. The grocery chain has a 22% share of the local market, but is losing ground to competitors, including hard discounter ALDI of Germany and region rivals Laurus N.V. and Edah.