Neiman Marcus department stores offer high-fashion, high-quality women's and men's apparel (from such labels as Chanel and Prada), shoes and accessories, fine jewelry, china, crystal, and silver. The company operates about 40 Neiman Marcus stores in some 20 states and Washington, DC, as well as two Bergdorf Goodman stores in New York City and more than 25 Last Call clearance center outlets that sell marked down goods. Its mail-order and e-commerce business, Neiman Marcus Direct, distributes catalogs (which offer apparel, home furnishings, and gourmet foods) under the Neiman Marcus By Mail and Horchow names. The upscale retailer is owned by Newton Holding.

Orchard Supply Hardware provides many items for California house-raisin's. The company operates about 85 home centers in the Golden State, from Los Angeles to Redding in the north, as well as an online store. More than its name implies, Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) offers products in several home improvement categories, including garden and nursery; heating, cooling, insulation, and ventilation; home safety and emergency preparation; plumbing; and renovation and decoration. OSH stores sell Sears' Craftsman brand tools, and several locations stock home appliances. The firm was founded in 1931 as a farmers' purchasing cooperative in San Jose. It was acquired by Sears, Roebuck and Co. in 1996.

Fred Meyer Stores went out for groceries and wound up in Kroger's cart. Freddy's -- as the chain is known -- is a supercenter pioneer providing food and general merchandise to cost-conscious consumers in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. One of the largest supercenter operators in the US (along with Wal-Mart and Costco Wholesale), Fred Meyer's more than 125 multidepartment stores (averaging 155,000 sq. ft.) offer everything from apparel and home goods to groceries, consumer electronics, fuel, and jewelry. Its Web store delivers to the Alaska Bush. Kroger has leveraged Fred Meyer's general merchandising expertise as defense against Wal-Mart, which has overtaken Kroger as the #1 seller of groceries in the US.

UP&S was founded in 1953 by Taylor Ramsey and is now owned by vice-chair Patti Ramsey, his daughter-in-law. United Pipe & Supply (UP&S) is trying to unite plumbing and HVAC specialists all over the Pacific Northwest. Operating through about 35 locations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, the company distributes equipment and supplies for irrigation, pumping and drilling, and heating and air conditioning. UP&S also provides specification and design consulting for architects, contractors, and designers.

Victoria's Secret is not hush-hush, but it is unmentionable(s). The largest subsidiary of Limited Brands (based on sales) is also North America's #1 specialty retailer of women's intimate apparel, operating about 1,040 mostly mall-based Victoria's Secret and 250-plus La Senza lingerie stores throughout the US and Canada. Bras, panties, hosiery, swimwear, shoes, and more are sold under the Victoria's Secret brand and grouped in collections such as Dream Angels and Very Sexy. Many Victoria's Secret lingerie stores also sell beauty products. Its sister company Victoria's Secret Direct mails about 400 million of its sexy catalogs per year, offering intimate apparel, women's clothing, and footwear.

SOK is made up of about 35 independent regional cooperative societies that produce the group's services. Food and grocery account for half of SOK's overall business its market brands include ABC!, Alepa, Prisma, S Market, and Sale. The group was founded in 1904.Suomen Osuuskauppojen Keskuskunta (SOK Corporation) knows a thing or two (or 1,500) about retail. The Finnish group is active in grocery, combination convenience store/gas station, department store, specialty goods, hotel and restaurant, auto trade, and hardware services via 1,590 locations in its home country, throughout the Baltic nations, and Russia.

Pottery Barn, Inc. sells casual home furnishings and accessories, such as sofas, tables, bedding, and tableware, at nearly 200 stores across the US and Canada. Pottery Barn also sells its wares by catalog and online. In 1999 the retailer launched Pottery Barn Kids, which operates retail stores and a separate Web site. Pottery Barn launched another specialty brand in 2003, PBTeen, which sells merchandise through catalogs, a Web site, and stores. Pottery Barn, which has roots that go back to 1949, is owned by home furniture and cookware retailer Williams-Sonoma.

The legendary single-location Nebraska Furniture Mart got its start in 1937 when Russian immigrant Rose Blumkin ("Mrs. B") began selling furniture at a slight markup out of a shop basement. Her motto: "Sell cheap and tell the truth!" The famed Omaha location (called the Mart) was built in 1968 and rebuilt by Mrs. B and her son in 1975 after a tornado hit. Two decades later, an electronics and appliance store was added in Omaha; the 77-acre location now boasts some 500,000 sq. ft. of retail space. The firm also operates stores in Des Moines, Iowa, and Kansas City, Missouri. Omaha investor Warren Buffett (owner of Berkshire Hathaway) bought a majority stake in Nebraska Furniture Mart in 1983.

Burton Lumber & Hardware Co. was founded in 1911 by Willard C. Burton. cFamily-owned-and-run Burton Lumber & Hardware designs, makes, and installs truss and floor packages, wall panels, and doors (interior and exterior) from its facility in Salt Lake City. It also sells and installs Heatilator-brand fireplaces and building materials made by Trex, James Hardie, and other companies. Burton Lumber & Hardware operates half a dozen locations in Utah and offers delivery services throughout the state. Its customers have included contractors, home builders, and government agencies.

Super Warehouse was founded by CEO Russell Schneider in 1997. Super Warehouse may not be faster than a speeding bullet, but it does deliver computers and computer equipment pretty quickly. The privately-held company is a direct online retailer and reseller of more than 50,000 brand-name products -- PCs, notebooks, hardware, software, audio-visual equipment, and peripherals -- from leading manufacturers, such as Apple, Cisco, IBM, Canon, and Xerox, among others. It ships from about 15 warehouse locations throughout the US, usually within 1 to 2 days. Its primary customers include businesses, educational organizations, and government agencies.

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