Formerly named Hardware Wholesalers, Do it Best was founded in 1945. If you're building a house or fixing one up, you might as well Do it Best -- at least that's the hope of one of the hardware industry's largest cooperatives. Do it Best boasts more than 4,100 member-owned stores in 45-plus countries worldwide, but primarily the US. Besides the usual tools and building materials, merchandise includes automotive items, bicycles, camping gear, housewares, office supplies, and small appliances. Customers can also have products specially shipped to their local stores through Do it Best's e-commerce site. The co-op's buying power enables members to offer items at competitive prices.

The Foschini Group (TFG) is an investment holding company operating in the retail and financial services segments within southern Africa. The Group trades primarily in South Africa with retail turnover emanating from Botswana, Swaziland and Namibia accounting for 3,8% of the Group turnover. Comprising 14 trading brands in over 1 500 stores, the Group brings a lifestyle range of brands that are prominent household fashion brands into the retail market. TFG Apparel Supply Company manages the supply of locally made apparel and co-ordinates the merchandise sourcing, shipping and quality assurance activities. A further two trading divisions offer financial services. All the trading divisions are supported by numerous service divisions which provide centralised support services. Foschini Limited, which commenced trading in 1924, has been listed on the JSE Limited since 1 January 1941 and is regarded as one of the foremost independent chain store groups in the country. It is listed on the main board in the Consumer Services – Retail sector.

Marks and Spencer Group plc, through its subsidiaries, engages in retailing clothing, food, and home products in the United Kingdom and internationally. It offers clothing, including womenswear, lingerie, menswear, school wear, and kids wear; flowers, gifts, cards and stationery, books, compact discs, and digital versatile discs (DVDs). The companys home and furniture products include bedroom furniture, beds and mattresses, cabinet furniture, conservatory and outdoor products, dining tables and chairs, and sofas and armchairs for living and dining rooms, kitchen, home offices, bedrooms, and bathrooms; and cookware, dinnerware, home accessories, household electricals, lighting, luggage, soft furnishings, storage products, and towels and bathmats. In addition, it sells TVs, blu-rays, and DVD players; home cinema products; hi-fi and radios;

Founded in 1977, Uniprix is a growing alliance of independent pharmacy operators who together own Uniprix company. Uniprix has vaulted into the #1 spot in the Quebec drugstore market (ahead of rival Jean Coutu). The chain operates about 390 drugstores under the Uniprix, Unipharm, Uniclinique, and Clinique Sante banners. (With about 360 pharmacies, Jean Coutu is still Quebec's largest chain by revenue.) Drugstores flying the Uniprix banner account for more than half of the company's locations. Many Uniprix locations are superstores averaging 7,500 sq. ft. Unipharm outlets are mid-size neighborhood shops, while Unipharm and Uniclinique are smaller pharmacies adjacent to medical centers and seniors' residences.

Founded in 1998, Service Partners acquired some 40 businesses before being purchased itself by Masco in 2002. If you can't stand the heat, try getting better insulation from Service Partners. Through some 55 centers in about 30 states, the firm is a leading distributor of residential fiberglass insulation and related products, including fireplaces, roofing, gutters, shelving, drywall, and acoustical ceiling material. Contractors and home improvement retailers are Service Partners' primary customers. It also runs more than a dozen laminating facilities that produce insulation for use in prefabricated buildings, as well as a training center where contractors learn how to install the company's products.

Founded by Burt Orrin Kinney, who opened the company's first drugstore in 1903, Kinney Drugs has grown to number more than 90 stores in central and northern New York and Vermont. Most of the company's stores are free-standing units, with pharmacies, one-hour photo developing services, and a growing selection of convenience foods. The 100%-employee-owned company maintains its own distribution warehouse and offers about 800 different products, including Kinney-branded over-the-counter medicines. Besides retail stores, the firm operates ProAct prescription benefit management firm, HealthDirect institutional pharmacy services, and HealthDirect mail order pharmacy services.

Established in 1940, USG is a subsidiary of Colonial Commercial. Though Universal Supply Group (USG) doesn't supply the entire universe, it does have HVAC in the tri-state area covered. Through about 10 locations in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, Universal Supply Group, Inc. distributes air conditioning, heating, and ventilation equipment and supplies. Its Universal Energy Products division designs and sells systems and control panels for energy conservation along with indoor air quality equipment while its Goldman Universal division distributes appliances to retail stores in the region. USG also offers training and climate control consulting for contractors and building engineers.

Family-owned and -operated Von Maur runs about 25 upscale department stores in 10 midwestern states, offering its customers amenities such as an interest-free credit card, free gift wrapping, and free shipping within the US. The stores range in size from 42,000 to 203,000 sq. ft. and offer clothing from brands such as Burberry, Kenneth Cole, and Tommy Bahama. Distinguishing itself from the rest of the pack, the Von Maur chain has avoided advertising and big blowout sales; it even closes up shop on traditional retailer high-dollar days such as the Fourth of July. The von Maur family opened its first store in Davenport, Iowa, in 1872.

Vivarte (formerly Groupe Andre) is a giant in European shoes and clothes. One of Europe's leading manufacturers and sellers of footwear and apparel, it operates some 4,400 stores in France and about 10 other countries in Europe, including Germany, Italy, and Spain, under about 20 different banners. Its discount footwear and apparel stores operate under the La Halle aux Chaussures, Chaussland, and Besson Chaussures names. Other stores operate under the Caroll, Kookai, La Halle, Naf Naf, Super Sport, and Fosco names. Vivarte is owned by the UK-based private equity firm Charterhouse Capital Partners, which acquired the company from PAI Partners in 2007.

BIM wants to make grocery shopping as easy as bim, bam, boom. With more than 2,700 stores, the company is Turkey's largest supermarket chain.Known as "the Turkish ALDI,"BIM operates a similar warehouse-style discount store model and only offers about 600 products per store, mostly under its private-label brands Dost St,Homemaxx,and Yuva.BIM stores also offer toys, housewares, and home appliances.Stores range in size from 2,000 to 6,000 sq. ft.,and the company also operates its own trucking and logistics service to cut costs.BIM was founded in 1995.Together, Chairman Mustafa Latif Topbas and Saudi Arabian industrialist Abdulrahman El Khereiji own more than 30% of the company

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