Duckwall-ALCO Stores, Inc. operates as a regional broad line retailer in the central United States. The company operates ALCO stores that offer a line of merchandise consisting of approximately 35,000 items, including automotive, candy, crafts, domestics, electronics, fabrics, furniture, hardware, jewelry, pre-recorded music and video, and stationery products, as well as health and beauty aids, housewares, sporting goods, seasonal items, and toys. It also offers ladies', men's, and children's apparel and shoes. In addition, the company also operates Duckwall stores, which offer a limited selection of merchandise. As of February 16, 2010, it operated 258 stores in 23 states in the central United States. The company was founded in 1901 and is based in Abilene, Kansas.

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.

The Crawford Group of Companies keeps things warm and flowing in the Great Lakes region. Through about 15 locations in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, the Crawford Group distributes heating and plumbing supplies to retailers and contractors. The company operates as Builders Heating Supply, Builders Plumbing Supply, Crawford Supply, Inland Supply, KDA of Wisconsin, and Plumbers Equipment Company. The Crawford Group's Web site allows customers to place orders, sign up for training, register for conferences, and access tools to help small businesses.

Sapp Bros Travel Centers (formerly Sapp Bros Truck Stops) has the usual air, gas, food, but also offers human conveniences such such as laundry rooms, mailbox rentals, private showers, and TV lounges. The company operates a chain of some 15 truck stops -- readily identifiable by the giant red-and-white coffeepot logo -- along interstate highways from Utah to Pennsylvania; with a concentration in Nebraska. Half of the locations also operate service centers, offering oil changes, new tires, and safety checks. Its sister company, Sapp Bros Petroleum, distributes petroleum products in Nebraska and western Iowa. The firm is run by CEO Bill Sapp, one of the four founding Sapp brothers.

Express, Inc. operates specialty retail stores in the United States. Its stores offer apparel and accessories for women and men between 20 and 30 years old across various aspects of the lifestyles, including work, casual, and going-out occasions, as well as provides gift cards. As of January 30, 2010, the company operated 573 stores. It also offers its products through e-commerce Website, express.com. Express, Inc. was formerly known as Express Parent, LLC and changed its name to Express, Inc. on May 12, 2010. Express, Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

Big Y Foods began as a 900-sq.-ft. grocery at a Y intersection in Chicopee,Massachusetts.It now operates some 60 supermarkets throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut. Most of its stores are Big Y World Class Markets,offering specialty areas such as bakeries and floral shops, as well as banking.The rest consist of Big Y Supermarkets and a single gourmet food and liquor store called Table & Vine in Springfield,Massachusetts.Some Big Y stores provide child care, dry cleaning, photo processing, and even propane sales,and their delis and food courts offer to-go foods.Big Y is owned and run by the D'Amour family and is one of New England's largest independent supermarket chains.

A chic alternative to the mall sprawl of the suburban shopping center, Elisa Wen's Walnut Creek and San Francisco stores offer 14 different lines of clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, and shoes. The upscale purveyor of women's and children's apparel offers ready-to-wear items such as Hudson jeans and Splendid tee shirts, as well as a wide array of cocktail wear, including evening outfits from Catherine Malandrino, D & G, Miguelina, and Rebecca Taylor. The stores also sell items under such brands as a L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, True Religion, Rock & Republic, Susana Monaco, and Michael Stars.

GN Hello Direct, Inc. was acquired in 2000 by GN Netcom, a Denmark-based maker of hands-free telecom equipment. Ah, the poetic justice GN Hello Direct delivers. The company sells telephones and accessories (including headsets and amplifiers) to small and midsized businesses and the very telemarketers who ring you just when dinner is served. It also sells the phones that screen those annoying telemarketer calls, as well as recording, distance-conferencing, mobile navigation, and VoIP products. More than 50 major brands are represented in the firm's inventory, including AT&T, Panasonic, and Motorola, plus its own Hello Direct and GN Netcom labels. Products are sold through GN Hello Direct's catalog and website.

The Men’s Wearhouse, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer of men’s suits in the United States and Canada. The company operates its retail apparel stores under Men’s Wearhouse, Men’s Wearhouse and Tux, and K&G brand names in 47 states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia. It operates its stores in Canada under the brand name Moores Clothing for Men. The company’s Men’s Wearhouse, Men’s Wearhouse and Tux, and Moores Clothing for Men apparel stores offer designer, brand name, and private label merchandise, including suits, sport coats, slacks, formal wear, business casual, sportswear, outerwear, dress shirts, shoes, accessories, and tuxedo rentals. The company’s K&G stores offer men's and ladies’ apparel, including tailored clothing, casual sportswear, dress furnishings, children’s clothing, footwear, and accessories. As of January 30, 2010, the company operated 1259 retail stores, which include 1142 stores in the United States and 117 stores in Canada. In addition, it operates a corporate apparel and uniform program in the Houston, Texas; and a retail dry cleaning and laundry business. The Men’s Wearhouse was founded in 1974 and is based in Houston, Texas.

In the early 1900s, Herman and Sarah Reitman ran a small department store in Montreal. They would be extremely proud to see that their children and grandchildren have taken their family operated business to such levels and transformed it into one of Canada’s largest fashion retailers. The Reitmans Company was founded after a second store opened in 1926. Since then, a number of stores have opened every year, and other banners have emerged, namely Smart Set, RW&CO., Penningtons, Addition-Elle, Thyme Maternity and Cassis. Today, the Company operates over 950 stores throughout Canada. Reitmans (Canada) Limited is a publicly traded company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RET, RET-A). Although Reitmans (Canada) Limited is one of the largest publicly-owned retail companies in Canada, it still operates with a strong family culture.

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