It was M.O. Lee - then president of VF Corporation - who suggested holding a public sale one Saturday morning to clear out excess inventory of Berkshire International. That day, the merchandise completely sold out, even though the only advertising had been word of mouth. The store was so busy that even Lee bagged merchandise and manned the cash register. “You could see his mind working,” said John Jackson, merchandise manager of Intimate Apparel at the time. “He was thinking he could make the store bigger. We just had a drop cloth on the back wall, and we kept moving it back.”Pleased and surprised at the success of the sale, Lee scheduled a bigger one for two weeks later, with merchandise brought in from other VF sources. That sale was even more successful, and the VF Outlet business was launched. Selling Berkshire and Vanity Fair surplus products, the factory store was 5,000 square feet, with only a drop cloth separating it from the manufacturing facility. VF Corporation - which opened the store in 1970 - was one of the earliest outlet operators, and opened the first outlet center in the country, in Reading, Pennsylvania.

J Sainsbury plc operates approximately 872 stores comprising 537 supermarkets and 335 convenience stores; and holds 294 freehold and long leasehold stores, as well as 2 property joint ventures containing 43 supermarkets. In addition, it provides insurance, credit cards, savings products, and loans. The company was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.J Sainsbury plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in retailing, financial services, and property investment businesses in the United Kingdom. The company’s stores offer a range of food, and complementary non-food products and services primarily under the Sainsbury’s brand. It also provides an Internet-based home delivery shopping service.

The regional grocery chain is pursuing a "fresh store" strategy with a heavy emphasis on fresh foods. Parent company A&P, which added Super Fresh to its shopping cart in 1982, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2010. The company plans to keep all of its stores open while it reorganizes.Super Fresh Food Markets operates more than 60 grocery stores in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. About half of the locations have in-store pharmacies, and some are open around the clock. Other amenities include takeout meals, floral shops, and a Just for Kids aisle.

The story of Wilkinson Hardware defines DIY, and not just because the do-it-yourself trend has made the business a success and has allowed it to ride out a couple recessions. Founded in Leicester in 1930, Wilkinson Hardware Stores operates more than 330 home and garden shops throughout England and Wales. Each of its locations peddles some 25,000 products. Wilko, as the company is known, is one of the largest privately-held companies in the UK. The business is led by the founding Wilkinson family. J.K. Wilkinson founded the original store after gathering the seed money by saving £1 a week from his wages for nearly six years. Chairwoman Karin Swann is the founder's granddaughter.

he regional grocery chain also operates about a half a dozen larger Smith's Marketplace stores (154,000 sq. ft. on average) in Utah that combine full-service grocery, pharmacy, and general merchandise departments. Smith's joined the Kroger family when Kroger, the 1 US grocer, bought its parent, Fred Meyer, in 1999.From a small grocery store founded by Ren Smith in Brigham City, Utah, Smith's Food & Drug Centers has grown into a regional powerhouse with supermarkets in Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, and four other western states. Most of its 130-plus stores are conventional supermarkets with in-store pharmacy departments and many offering bakeries, one-hour photo labs, and other services.

Pilot offers a salve to those suffering from white-line fever. Its Pilot Travel Centers LLC, a joint venture between Pilot and CVC Capital Partners, runs more than 300 truck stops in some 40 states. Each features restaurant chains such as Subway, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. Pilot has fuel islands large enough to service several 18-wheelers at a time and private showers. Pilot Truck Care Centers provide TLC for big rigs. The firm also owns and operates about 45 convenience stores under the Pilot Food Mart banner in Tennessee. James Haslam II got Pilot off the ground in 1958 as a gas station that sold cigarettes and soft drinks; now his son, CEO James Haslam III, pilots the firm. The Haslam family owns the company.

"Shoppertainment" has been the key to success for Jordan's Furniture. Through four stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the company sells furniture for the bedroom, dining room, living room, and home office, as well as mattresses, rugs, and other decor. Taking furniture sales to the next level, stores feature two IMAX theaters, a laser light hall, and MOM (Motion Odyssey Movie) ride. Founded in 1918 by Samuel Tatelman, Jordan's Furniture is owned by billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway.

Destination Maternity Corporation engages in the design and retail of maternity apparel. Destination Maternity Corporation offers casual and career wear, formal attire, lingerie, sportswear, and outerwear. As of September 30, 2009, Destination Maternity Corporation operated 1,084 retail locations, including 724 stores in 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Canada, and 360 leased departments located within department stores and baby specialty stores throughout the United States. It operates stores under Motherhood Maternity, A Pea in the Pod, and Destination Maternity brand names. Motherhood Maternity brand serves the value-priced portion of the maternity apparel industry; and stores are located in regional malls, strip and power centers, and central business districts. A Pea in the Pod brand serves both the medium-priced portion and the luxury portion of the maternity apparel business; and stores are located in regional malls, lifestyle centers, central business districts, and certain stand-alone stores in affluent street locations. Destination Maternity brand carries Motherhood and Pea merchandise; and stores are located in regional malls and lifestyle centers. Destination Maternity Corporation also sells its products on the Web through its DestinationMaternity.com and brand-specific Web sites. In addition, Destination Maternity Corporation offers Two Hearts Maternity by Destination Maternity collection at approximately 600 Sears and Kmart locations throughout the U.S. through a leased department relationship. Destination Maternity Corporation also distributes its Oh Baby by Motherhood collection through a licensed arrangement at Kohl's stores in the U.S. and on Kohls.com. Further, it has franchise and product supply relationships in India and the Middle East. Destination Maternity Corporation was formerly known as Mothers Work, Inc. and changed its name to Destination Maternity Corporation in December 2008. Destination Maternity Corporation was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Monsoon's founder Peter Simon took the company private in 2007 in a deal valued at £755 million. Monsoon rains down fuchsia Nehru-collar blouses and purple chenille throws. The company offers women's, men's, and children's apparel, home furnishings, and accessories from about 1,000 Monsoon and Accessorize stores in the UK & Ireland and more than 50 other countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Originally a purveyor of ethnic fashions from India and the Far East, Monsoon now sells what it calls "deluxe boho chic" casual and dress apparel. Some Monsoon stores carry bridal apparel. Its Monsoon Home store and in-store departments offer interior design items and accessories.

SNAX 24 operates about 75 combination fuel stations/convenience stores (distributing major oil brands, such as BP and Shell) throughout the UK. SNAX 24 is owned by its chairman, Gerald Rosnon, founder of the Heron International property group and SNAX 24's predecessor, Heron Service Stations, which was started when Rosnon was only 17 years old. Its first service station was opened at St. Albans, England in 1966, and the SNAX 24 concept was introduced in 1992.

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