Hannaford Bros. may have started as a fruit and vegetable stand in 1883, but it has expanded from its Maine roots to become an upscale grocer with more than 170 stores under the Hannaford Supermarkets banner throughout Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, upstate New York, and Vermont. Still, produce continues to be a major focus at the Hannaford supermarkets, as are expansive meat selections and natural food products. More than 75% of the Hannaford stores are combination grocery stores and pharmacies. The stores average about 48,500 sq. ft. Maine's largest supermarket chain, Hannaford Bros. is owned by Delhaize America (parent of Food Lion), which in turn is owned by Belgium's Delhaize Group.

Cash Converters International makes cash advances in return for used merchandise, including electronics, jewelry, musical instruments, tools, and more, which it resells to the public. The second-hand goods retailer and pawnbroker operates about 500 franchised and company-owned stores in its home country of Australia and another 20 countries worldwide, including Canada, the US, and the UK. The company also offers customers cash advances on their paychecks. Stores operate under the Cash Converters banner. Texas-based EZCORP acquired a 30% stake in the firm in 2009.

Casual Male Retail Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of men’s apparel in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company operates its stores under the Casual Male XL, Casual Male XL Outlets, Rochester Clothing, B & T Factory Direct, Shoes XL, and Living XL trade names. Its retail stores offer a range of basic sportswear, other casual apparel, dress wear, and accessories, as well as a line of its private label collections, such as Harbor Bay, 626 Blue-Vintage Surplus, Synrgy, Comfort Zone, and Oak Hill; and casual clothing for the big and tall customers. As of January 30, 2010, Casual Male Retail Group operated 395 Casual Male XL retail stores, 65 Casual Male XL outlet stores, and 19 Rochester Clothing stores; and a direct business, which included various catalogs and e-commerce sites. The company was formerly known as Designs, Inc. and changed its name to Casual Male Retail Group, Inc. in August 2002 as a result of the acquisition of Casual Male business from Casual Male Corp. Casual Male Retail Group, Inc. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts.

Founded in 1923 by Barney Pressman, Barneys New York is owned by an affiliate of Istithmar PJSC, an investment firm owned by the Dubai government. After a tough couple of years for luxury retailers, Barneys has a new leader and is looking to recover. Barneys New York is no purple dinosaur, even if it did have a brush with extinction. The luxury department store chain sells designer apparel for men, women, and children; shoes; accessories; and home furnishings. It operates more than 40 locations including about 10 full-size Barneys New York flagship stores in New York City, Beverly Hills, Boston, Chicago, and other major cities; some 20 smaller Barneys Co-Op shops; and about a dozen outlet stores.

MPS Builders and Merchants Ltd. company was founded in 1995 by officers Iain Melvin, Dale Potts, and Martyn and Erica Smith. MPS is really into hitting the bricks-- and other heavy building construction supplies. Through three depots in England, MPS is a merchant distributor of bricks, concrete products, ducting, grates and manhole covers, pipes and plumbing supplies, septic tanks, walls, and other building materials. Customers include civil-engineering firms, groundwork contractors, and residential and commercial builders. Deals include nationwide (UK) delivery of goods.

Bossini wants to be the boss of Asian apparel retailers. Bossini International Holdings Limited company manages a brand of casual fashion wear and accessories in the Asia/Pacific region; its core markets are Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Products include clothing for women, men, and kids. Bossini operates more than 1,000 directly owned and franchised outlets in some 30 countries. It opened its first exclusive store in Hong Kong in 1987. Bossini International Holdings Limited company is now one of the largest retail fashion chains in the region. Through business partners, Bossini has exported franchised outlets across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Central America.

Farm Stores Corporation is exploring plans to expand its concept nationally. Founded in 1935, the Bared family, fronted by company president and CEO Carlos Bared, bought Farm Stores out of bankruptcy in 1992.Farm Stores Corporation's drive-thru markets, you never leave the car. With more than 100 Express Markets throughout Florida, Farm Stores is the nation's largest drive-thru grocery retailer. The chain's pre-paid Farm Stores Quick Card (think of it as a debit card for milk) allows customers to buy gallons more cheaply by paying in advance. The grocery chain's stores are supplied by Associated Grocers of Florida.

Pamida Stores Operating Co. offers more small-town values than a bandwagon of Republicans on the campaign trail. The rural retailer operates 200-plus Pamida general merchandise discount stores in about 15 states, mostly in the Midwest. The stores are located in small towns (5,500 people, on average), most of which are not served by mass merchandisers, such as Wal-Mart. Pamida's stores sell brand-name and private-label apparel, jewelry, health and beauty aids, housewares, electronics, and lawn and garden supplies. Most stores also sell groceries and two-thirds have in-store pharmacies. Formerly a division of ShopKo Stores, Pamida and ShopKo are portfolio companies of private equity firm Sun Capital Partners.

The business was spun off by Limited Brands in 1999 and changed its name to Tween Brands from Too, Inc. in 2006. Dress Barn bought Tween Brands to extend its retail reach to young girls. Justice serves up apparel and accessories to girls ages 7 to 14 from some 890 stores throughout the US and Puerto Rico. A division of The Dress Barn, which bought the chain when it purchased Tween Brands in 2009, Justice stores sell value-priced apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, toys, and even electronics and furnishings to trendy "tweens." Outside the US, the chain has about 35 franchised locations in the Middle East and Europe. It also sells via its website and through "catazines" (catalogs with editorial content).

Simply Amazing (which does business as Amazing Savings) operates about a dozen closeout retail stores in New York and New Jersey. The company offers overstocked and discontinued goods (such as apparel, housewares, and appliances) purchased in bulk from manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. Begun as a single shop in 1989, Simply Amazing operated 14 stores in three states when it bought ailing Odd Job Stores in 2003. Post-acquisition, it ran about 85 stores in nine states. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in early 2005 and shuttered 69 stores as part of the reorganization that led within a few months to its emergence from bankruptcy.

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