Since 1963 Fast Retailing has been working to fill the gap in Japan's casual wear market. The company operates about 815 Uniqlo (a combination of the words unique and clothing) stores in Japan and another 145 Uniqlo shops in foreign markets, including China, France, South Korea, the UK and the US. The first Uniqlo store opened New York City in 2005. Fast Retailing -- often described as the "Gap of Japan" -- sells "cheap chic" basics (similar to US-based Old Navy or Spain's Zara, but undercutting its competitors more drastically) for men, women, and children. It buys most of its clothes from 60 factories in China. Founder and chairman Tadashi Yanai and his family own nearly half of Fast Retailing.

Interstate Companies, Inc., provides a broad range of automotive products and services through its group of businesses. Its Interstate PowerSystems unit distributes engines, transmissions, heater systems, mobile refrigeration products, generators, and other products manufactured by Detroit Diesel, Deutz, Dresser Waukesha, Espar, Allison, Carrier, and others. Its AssemblySystems division offers parts, kits, and assemblies to bus and coach OEMs throughout North America. The BearingsSytems unit provides bearing, power transmission, and conveyor services. Founded in 1957, Interstate Companies has more than 15 locations throughout Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the Dakotas.

In 1978 a group of 13 pharmacists banded together to form what is now known as Value Drug Mart Associates Ltd. Their mission was clear—to provide quality healthcare and great products in community-minded, independently owned and operated stores. Today, the association consists of 35 member shareholder Value Drug Mart stores, 11 Apple Drugs member stores, 11 Rxellence Professional Dispensaries, and 300 affiliated stores. Our Central Office and Distribution Centre in Edmonton, AB is located in 85,000 square feet that is owned and operated by the member shareholders, under the direction of an elected Board of Directors. The original concept of the founding member shareholders was to provide the existing and future member shareholders with an organization designed to provide increased profitability to individual store owners rather than to create a wholesale profit centre. That direction remains to this day.

PCC (stands for Puget Consumers Co-op) today is the largest consumer-owned natural food cooperative in the US, with about 40,000 members. Lifetime membership in the regional cooperative costs $60.PCC Natural Markets operates about 10 organic and natural food stores in Washington. More than 90% of the produce sold by the coop is certified organic, according to USDA rules. It also offers cooking classes featuring guest chefs, natural foods, exotic dishes, and lessons for children. PCC Natural Markets watches out for its customers' health, removing all products from its shelves that contain trans-fats and the like.

Kroger's Fred Meyer Stores subsidiary (acquired in 1999) operates about 125 supercenters, which offer groceries, general merchandise, and jewelry, in the western US.Kroger is the nation's 1 pure grocery chain, but it still must watch out for falling prices; Wal-Mart has overtaken Kroger as the largest seller of groceries in the US. While Kroger has diversified through acquisitions, adding jewelry and general merchandise to its mix, food stores still account for about 85% of sales. The company operates about 3,620 stores, including some 2,465 supermarkets and multidepartment stores, under two dozen banners, in about 30 states. It also runs 775 convenience stores under names such as Quik Stop and Kwik Shop

Kole Imports keeps America's dollar stores well stocked with trinkets and treasures. The firm wholesales everything from automobile accessories to zippers, which is attractively packaged by in-house artists to ensure a similar look for all of the merchandise. Products are sold primarily to other wholesalers and dollar and discount stores. Kole Imports' warehouse includes a 6,000-sq.-ft. showroom designed to look like a dollar store, allowing potential customers to browse the merchandise. The company was founded by brothers (and co-presidents) Rob and Danny Kole in 1982.

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.

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.

Saks Fifth Avenue, Inc was began as Proffitt’s, Inc. with just five Proffitt’s stores in metropolitan Knoxville, Tennessee. Proffitt's, Inc. became a public company in June 1987. From 1994 to 1998, we added McRae’s, Parisian, Younkers, Herberger's, and Carson Pirie Scott & Co. (which included Bergner's and Boston Store) as well as 32 additional stores from Lovemans, Hess, Parks-Belk, and Brody’s, which were converted into existing store nameplates.

Sleepy's, Inc. operates more than 700 stores, mostly in New York and New Jersey, but also in about 10 other eastern states. Some of the stores have Sleepy's Kids concessions inside. Sleepy's outlets sell the mattresses and box springs of more than a dozen major manufacturers, including Simmons, Sealy, and Serta, as well as brass, iron, and motorized beds. The firm offers low-price guarantees, delivery, and other services, and it sells products throughout the US by phone. Sleepy's acquired the mattress.com domain name and 1-800-Mattress telephone network in 2009. Chairman Harry Acker, who founded the firm in 1957, owns Sleepy's.

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