Axfood gives the chilly Nordic region the Willys. Axfood AB is one of the largest food retailers in Sweden (behind ICA and Coop),operating about 110 wholly owned Willys (discount grocery stores),30-plus Willys hemma (neighborhood grocers),and some 165 Hemkp (upscale grocery stores for food enthusiasts) stores. Axfood also operates shops under the Handlar'n and Tempo banners. Its Axfood Narlivs unit is a nationwide wholesaler serving convenience store retailers, restaurants, and foodservice companies through about 20 cash and carry outlets and several distribution centers. Subsidiary Dagab serves as Axfood AB company's logistics arm. Swedish food importer and retailer Axel Johnson owns about 46% of Axfood.

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. engages in designing, manufacturing, retailing, and direct marketing men’s tailored and casual clothing and accessories in the United States. Its product offerings include tuxedos, suits, shirts, vests, ties, sport coats, pants, sportswear, overcoats, sweaters, belts and braces, socks, underwear, and shoes. The company sells its products primarily under the Jos. A. Bank label through its own and franchised stores, and catalogs, as well as the Internet at josbank.com. As of March 31, 2010, it operated 473 retail stores, including 7 outlet stores and 13 franchise stores in 42 states and the District of Columbia. Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Hampstead, Maryland.

Gale knows how to get your garden to grow. Through four locations in Ohio, Gale's Garden Centers sells flowering trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, and houseplants. In addition to the usual garden items, Gale's locations offer wildlife feeders, pet supplies, seasonal yard decor, and outdoor furniture. Design centers at some locations carry exclusive gift collections, books on gardening and home decor, personal care items, and 300 lines of collectibles, as well as provide professional decorating and design assistance. The company's Willoughby location includes a glass conservatory to showcase plants year-round.

Wireless Toyz was founded in 1995 by CEO Joe Barbat, who set up a kiosk selling pagers in his father's video store when he was 17. The first Wireless Toyz opened in 1998; Wireless Toyz Franchise company now has about 200 stores in 22 states. Girlz and boyz love their wireless toyz. Wireless Toyz sells mobile phones and service plans from almost every cell phone provider, including the big ones -- AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile -- and smaller carriers such as Boost, Cricket, and Virgin Mobile. Wireless Toyz also sells satellite TV and radio equipment and services from DIRECTV, DISH Network, and SIRIUS XM Radio. Wireless Toyz Franchise company's smaller stores offer an alternative to other electronics chain retailers.

Keller Supply was founded by Howard Keller in 1945 and is still owned and run by the Keller family, including CEO Nick Keller. If you're building a house in the Pacific Northwest, Keller has the supplies you need. Through about 55 locations in Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, Keller Supply distributes residential and commercial HVAC, plumbing, and pool and spa products from more than 1,000 manufacturers including Kohler, Honeywell International, Rheem, Porter-Cable, and Pentair . Customers include contractors and home improvement retailers as well as international customers in Canada and farther afield.

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.

Improvement Direct operates a network of about a dozen online retail stores that sell a wide array of home décor items, bath and kitchen appliances, and furniture. Products include everything from lamps to sinks to beds. It offers such brand names as Bosch, Emerson, Kohler, and Moen. Environmentally-conscious consumers also have their choice of energy-saving appliances, faucets, lighting, and water heaters. Improvement Direct ships from about 50 warehouses and through more than 30 vendor partners. The private company was founded in 2000 by president Chris Friedland and EVP Dave Boctor.

Groupe Bikini Village inc. was founded in 1978. Groupe Bikini Village (formerly Groupe Les Ailes de la Mode) sells itsy bitsy, teeny weeny bikinis, as well as all types of swimwear, travel clothing, and beach and swimming accessories for men and women through more than 60 Bikini Village and Ocean Bikini Village boutiques in Quebec and Ontario. Groupe Bikini Village sold its unprofitable Les Ailes department store subsidiary in 2005 and adopted the name of its remaining Bikini Village business. In 2004 Groupe Bikini Village emerged from bankruptcy court protection as Groupe Les Ailes de la Mode. It was known as Les Boutiques San Francisco prior to its bankruptcy filing in late 2003.

Shoebuy is the largest retailer on the Internet focused on all categories of footwear and related apparel. Shoebuy has partnerships with over 1,100 manufacturers and represents over 1,000,000 products from top brands including adidas, Aerosoles, Allen-Edmonds, Bass, Bostonian, Brooks, Clarks England, Crocs, Dockers, Dr. Martens, Easy Spirit, ECCO, Fila, Florsheim, Franco Sarto, Hush Puppies, Johnston & Murphy, Keds, K-Swiss, Mephisto, Merrell, Naturalizer, New Balance, Reebok, Rockport, Samsonite, Sebago, Skechers, Sperry Top-Sider, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, and many more. Shoebuy is rated one of the top eTailers in the country for outstanding service by BizRate, one of only 2 Companies to win this award 6 years in a row, and is rated by Hitwise as one of the Internet's Top Ten most visited apparel and accessory shopping and classified sites.

E-Z Mart Stores founder Jim Yates kept his first convenience store in Ashdown, Arkansas, open until 11. The company now boasts 300 outlets across five southern states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas). Rather than build its own stores, the company usually expands through acquisitions. In addition to the standard hot dogs, chips, sodas, and cigarettes, most E-Z Mart locations also offer Shell, Conoco, Phillips 66, or CITGO gasoline. Yates died in late 1998 when the plane he was piloting crashed, leaving his daughter Sonja Hubbard at the company's helm as CEO.

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