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.

Fred's, Inc. and its subsidiaries sell general merchandise through retail discount stores and pharmacies in the southeastern United States. It offers pharmaceuticals, household goods, food and tobacco products, apparel and linens, health and beauty aids, household cleaning supplies, disposable diapers, pet foods, paper products, and various beverage products principally to low, middle, and fixed income families. The company also sells general merchandise to franchised Fred's stores. As of April 3, 2010, it operated 669 discount general merchandise stores, including 24 franchised stores. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.

Poundland wants its customers to care as much as it does about the value of British Sterling. Founded in 1990, Poundland is the UK's leading single-price retailer with 260-plus storefronts throughout Britain and plans to add 50 more in 2010/2011. Its typical 3,000 products offered range from drinks to household goods, with more large-size manufacturers coming on board each year. In 2002 then chief executive David Dodd led a management buy-out backed by venture capitalist Advent International.

Loblaw is also Canada's largest wholesale food distributor. Loblaw Companies is a subsidiary of Canada's George Weston.When grocery shopping in Canada, it's hard to escape the long arm of Loblaw. Loblaw Companies Ltd. is the market share leader among Canadian supermarket operators. Its corporate, franchised, and affiliated banners (22 in all) fly over more than 1,440 stores nationwide. Trade names include Loblaws, Atlantic SaveEasy, Extra Foods, Fortinos, No Frills, Provigo, Your Independent Grocer, T&T, and Zehrs Markets, to name a few. Its stores offer more than 8,000 private-label products, including its signature President's Choice brand, as well as traditional and organic grocery fare

Selfridges Retail Limited Company Profile Manhattan has Macy's; London has Selfridges. With 540,000 sq. ft. of selling space, the flagship Selfridges & Co. department store is still one of the biggest stores in the world and one of the top shops on London's posh Oxford Street. Selfridges also runs two smaller department stores in Manchester and a fourth location in Birmingham. The upmarket retailer sells a wide selection of brand-name fashion apparel, electronics, and housewares, but it aims to entertain as well with 15 in-store bars, cafes, and restaurants and a nearby 250-room, four-star hotel.

T J Morris offers its customers top brands-- of nearly everything-- at bottom-basement prices to value-seeking shoppers in England and Wales. The company operates more than 140 Home Bargains and "halfpriceorless.com" outlets that sell discounted personal care and household products, such as health and beauty items, toys, and designer products. The chain has announced aggressive expansion plans to grow to and manage some 500 stores within the next five years. Managing Director Tom Morris founded the company more than three decades ago.

Wolseley UK distributes building and plumbing equipment to construction customers from some 1,700 outlets throughout Great Britain. A subsidiary of global distributor Wolseley, the company operates through such trading companies and brands as Build Center, Drain Center, Pipe Center, and Plumb Center. Brandon Hire offers small and large tools and equipment for rent; Build Center Bulk provides supply chain management for construction firms in England and Wales. Wolseley UK also sells heating, shower, and repair and maintenance products. Wolseley UK was established in 2004 to house its parent company's assets in the UK and Ireland. (The Irish business was split off in 2007 to form Wolseley Ireland.)

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.

Earth Fare stores offer about 26,000 natural and organic products, house cafes and juice bars, sell vitamins and herbs, and offer deli service and cooking classes. Earth Fare was founded in 1975 by Roger Derrough who owns it along with other investors.Shoppers looking to fill their carts with products containing high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, artificial flavors, and synthetic growth hormones need not shop at Earth Fare. The regional organic and natural foods supermarket chain operates some 20 stores in Alabama, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Tennessee. Its stores are smaller than those of its conventional supermarket competitors and national natural foods chains like Whole Foods Market.

Etablissements Delhaize Freres Et Cie “Le Lion” S.A. (Delhaize Group), together with its subsidiaries, operates food supermarkets in North America, Europe, and southeast Asia. It also engages in food wholesaling to affiliated stores and independent wholesale customers; and in retailing of non- food products, such as pet products. Delhaize Group’s sales network also includes other store formats, such as proximity stores and specialty stores. As of September 30, 2010, its sales network consisted of 2,760 stores. Delhaize Group was founded in 1867 and is based in Brussels, Belgium.

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