In November 1984 Fortnum's made the national news when staff requested they sell the the "Do They Know It's Christmas?" single in Piccadilly. As no-one is in any doubt when it's Christmas at Fortnum's, the company took up the idea with gusto - helping spread the charitable message far beyond its traditional audience.

Garden Ridge Corporation owns and operates more than 40 stores, each covering nearly 3 acres and mostly located off major highways in about 20 states from Florida to Michigan. Its home state of Texas boasts some 15 stores. Considered the "home décor depot," Garden Ridge stores sell about 500,000 decorating items, such as seasonal décor, framed art, baskets, silk and dried flowers, furniture, home textiles, and pottery, as well as crafts and party supplies. Garden Ridge, which began as a single store outside of San Antonio in 1979, is owned by an investment group led by the New York-based private equity firm Three Cities Research.

Specialty Products & Insulation Co. is a division of Superior Plus LP, a wholly owned subsidiary of Superior Plus Corp (Trading Symbol: SPB on TSX). For more information visit www.superiorplus.com. Specialty Products & Insulation Co. (SPI) specializes in the domestic and global distribution and fabrication of mechanical, industrial, commercial, building, metal building and HVAC insulation systems; OEM products; passive fire protection systems; architectural/acoustical ceiling, wall and flooring systems and a wide range of specialty products. We are proud of our company and our customer focus. We believe our history and commitment to the future sets us apart from our competitors, and we invite you to explore the world of SPI.

Kelly Pipe was founded in 1898 by an entrepreneur who is now known to history only as Old Man Kelly. Kelly Pipe helps keep the Earth green. Operating through some 15 branches and 20-plus stocking locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, Kelly Pipe is a leading distributor of steel and plastic pipes, valves, and fittings from manufacturers worldwide. It also operates a subsidiaries in Mexico and the UK. Customers include the agriculture, oil processing, water service, and other industries. The company's Imperial Poles division distributes poles for street lighting, traffic signals, cellular towers, signs, and other purposes.

Grace's offers catering and gift baskets. Due to popular demand the company has opened a second location, on Long Island, and a takeout shop in La Guardia Airport. The market was opened in 1985 by Joseph and Grace Balducci Doria (whose parents founded Balducci's) and is now run by their children.Grace quite easily makes the final cut in the "Mother of the Year" contest. Grace's Marketplace offers gourmet foods through its storefront in the Upper East End of New York City and also operates Italian eatery, Grace's Trattoria, on the same city block. In addition to its deli items, fresh-baked goods and meats.

What do adventurers Ted Baker and J. Peterman have in common? They're both charming, slick, stylish (of course), and sheer fabrications of marketing. British clothier Ted Baker is the official outfitter of trendy lads in the UK. For men on the go, Ted makes a wrinkle-proof suit, an anti-bacterial shirt, and a bed-in-a-box linen set whose pillows contain a special condom pocket. For the birds and the nippers, there are Ted Baker Woman, Teddy Boy, and Teddy Girl. Accessories include skinwear, fragrances, eyewear, and watches. Ted has about 70 retail shops located in the UK and internationally; "his" clothes can also be found in about 125 other stores. CEO Raymond Kelvin owns about 40% of Ted Baker.

Variety is not only the spice of life -- it's also a major purveyor of deeply discounted merchandise. With some 425 stores in about 15 Southeastern states, Variety Wholesalers has survived even Wal-Mart's march through rural America. The company, which has aggressively bought other chains while closing poorly performing stores, tends to set up shop in small towns where the retail giants fear to tread. Its retail outlets sell beauty products, housewares, snacks, toys and more, under banners including Bargain Town, Maxway, Roses, and Super 10. Variety Wholesalers was founded in 1949 by James Pope; the Pope family, including chairman and CEO Art Pope, still runs the company.

Dreams Plc sells mattresses, divan sets, children's beds, bed frames, and bedding through more than 200 stores across the UK as well as online. Mattresses are manufactured at Dreams' own production facilities. The company also offers recycling service for used bedding. In 1985 Mike Clare began building on his own dreams with his first specialty bed and bedding store in Uxbridge. He sold Dreams to London-based Exponent Private Equity in 2008.

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.

IGA grocers are independent, but not alone. The world's largest voluntary supermarket network, IGA has 6,200 stores in more than 40 countries worldwide, including about 1,350 in the US. Collectively, its members are among North America's leaders in terms of supermarket sales. IGA (which stands for either International or Independent Grocers Alliance, the company says) is owned by about 35 worldwide distribution companies, including SUPERVALU. Members can sell IGA-brand private-label products (over 2,300 items) and take advantage of joint operations and services, such as advertising and volume buying. Some stores in the IGA alliance, which primarily caters to smaller towns, also sell gas.

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