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.

Audiophile Music Direct Inc. is owned by president Jim Davis. Audiophile Music Direct, which does business as Music Direct, brings the music to you. The company sells analog and digital music recordings, high-end stereo equipment, and related accessories through its catalog and online store. Brands include Audio-Technica, Avid, Godar Electronics, Marantz, RCA, and Sennheiser. Products range from SACDs by jazz masters and rock 'n' roll acts to amplifiers for more than $25,000. Music Direct also specializes in those hard-to-find items that only an audiophile would love, such as an antistatic gun for removing dust from vinyl records.

Monsoon's founder Peter Simon took the company private in 2007 in a deal valued at £755 million. Monsoon rains down fuchsia Nehru-collar blouses and purple chenille throws. The company offers women's, men's, and children's apparel, home furnishings, and accessories from about 1,000 Monsoon and Accessorize stores in the UK & Ireland and more than 50 other countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Originally a purveyor of ethnic fashions from India and the Far East, Monsoon now sells what it calls "deluxe boho chic" casual and dress apparel. Some Monsoon stores carry bridal apparel. Its Monsoon Home store and in-store departments offer interior design items and accessories.

Waitrose Limited operates about 230 Waitrose supermarkets in London, southern England, the Midlands, East Anglia, Wales, and Scotland. Founded in 1904 by Wallace Wait and Arthur Rose, it was acquired in 1937 by John Lewis Partnership, one of the UK's largest retailers. The grocer plans to dramatically increase its retail presence in the UK, and beyond, through a move into the convenience store market and the development of new store formats and partnerships with other retailers. Outside the food aisle, Waitrose plans to strengthen its non-food offering of clothing and housewares in its Food & Home store. A partnership with Internet grocer Ocado delivers Waitrose groceries to homes in London and Hertfordshire.

Kwik Trip operates about 350 Kwik Trip and Kwik Star convenience stores throughout Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The company also runs several Hearty Platter restaurants, about 40 Tobacco Outlet Plus (TOP) cigar stores, and car washes at some Kwik Trip store locations. All Kwik Trip stores built since 1990 are owned by Convenience Store Investments, a separate company, which leases the land and stores to Kwik Trip. Kwik Trip, which opened its first store in 1965 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is owned by the family of CEO Don Zietlow.

Spahn & Rose Lumber Co. is a retail lumber company with about 25 locations throughout Iowa and, to a lesser extent, in Illinois and Wisconsin. The company, which was organized in 1904, produces roof and floor truss systems and sells a variety of building supply products from such suppliers as Andersen (windows), Georgia-Pacific (lumber), CertainTeed (building materials), DuPont (plastics and flooring), MidContinent Cabinetry, (cabinets), Stanley Black & Decker (hand tools) and more. Spahn & Rose is promoting a range of green products, including recycled goods, solar reflective windows, and arsenic-free lumber.

Managing the pain associated with numerous diseases is a challenge – both for the people who live with the pain and for the physicians who treat them. Having a trusted pharmaceutical expert who can provide prescribed specialty medications in an efficient manner can mean the difference between finding relief sooner rather than later. In 2005, QVL Pharmacy was created as a solution to what we saw as significantly unmet needs of patients and physicians working with a primary or secondary diagnosis of pain. Since then, our unique approach and services have expanded into other diagnoses requiring medications that may be hard-to-find, including an expertise in scheduled (controlled) medications. QVL Pharmacy works to meet the unique needs of these patients and their physicians by combining significant expertise in pharmacy care with the latest in technology — and delivering it all with a personal, respectful touch.

Nepstar Chain Drugstore is China's largest retail drugstore chain based on the number of directly operated stores. The green Nepstar store signage is a familiar sight in many urban neighborhoods across mainland China, which signifies our commitment to bringing health, convenience and a better quality of life to Chinese. Established in 1995, Nepstar has grown from a single shop into a chain of 3,020 directly operated outlets (including 443 stores operated by JZJ) covering 74 cities in China by September 30, 2010.We are proud of our accomplishments. In our early days, we pioneered the concept of chain retailing in pharmacies in China. In 2004, Goldman Sachs joined us as an investor. On November 9, 2007, China Nepstar Chain Drugstore Ltd (NYSE: NPD) was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. High quality product offerings, professional service and convenience are among our promises to our customers and the foundation of our drive to be the leader in China's pharmaceutical retailing business.

Rockler Companies, Inc. company was founded in 1954 as a mail-order supplier of woodworking materials. Rockler Companies, a nationwide retail chain specializing in woodworking supplies, operates about 30 Rockler stores in about 20 states under the Rockler Woodworking and Hardware banner. The stores sells hardware (hinges, drawer slides), hand and power tools, finishes, wood and supplies, and shop equipment -- primarily to do-it-yourselfer types. It also sells cabinets; closet, kitchen, bath, and TV organizers; and TV and computer mounting equipment. In addition, Rockler operates a catalog business, six Web sites (including one for women in woodworking), and distributes its products through more than 60 independent partner stores.

Dunnes Stores has been losing market share to foreign competitors in recent years and is under increasing pressure to cut prices as the Irish economy swoons. Frank Dunne, son of the late founder Ben Dunne, runs the company.The Irish aren't done shopping until they've shopped Dunnes Stores. The largest Irish-owned supermarket and the Second supermarket operator there (behind Tesco), Dunnes Stores offers brand-name and its own St. Bernard-brand grocery items; housewares for every room; and clothing for men, women, and children in about 150 stores in Ireland, the UK, and Spain. Ireland's largest family-owned business.

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