Bidz.com combines the markdowns of a dollar store, the format of an auction house, and the convenience of the Internet to bring sparkling deals to shoppers. The company buys closeout merchandise and sells it using a live-auction format, with $1 opening bids. It mostly sells jewelry, including gold, platinum, and silver items set with diamonds, as well as precious and semi-precious stones. Visitors can also find deals on electronics, apparel, and a range of collectibles (such as fine art, antiques, coins, and sports cards). In addition, the company operates Buyz.com, a fixed-price e-commerce site that offers similar items being listed for auction.

General Hardware and Builder's Supply tells you right up front what they do. The company sells architectural and residential hardware and aluminum, steel, and wood doors and frames. Products include hollow metal doors and frames, seven-ply and five-ply architectural wood doors (manufactured by Algoma Hardwoods, Buell Door, Haley Lynden, Pacific Architetural, V.T. Industries, Western Oregon Door), Schlage locks, and Hager hinges.

Spain's Cortefiel has something for everyone. Its five main store brands -- Cortefiel, Pedro del Hierro, Springfield, Women'secret, and Milano -- target young men, older men, young women, cost-conscious women, and high-end clothing. Cortefiel operates more than 1,400 stores, mostly under the Cortefiel and Springfield banners. Although the retailer operates in about 50 countries, Spain is home to more than half of the group's stores. It owns its European stores and franchises locations in Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East. The Hinojosa family had controlled Cortefiel before CVC, PAI Partners, and Permira acquired more than 86% of it in 2005.

Aerogroup International wants ladies to feel like they're walking on air or, at least, feel like buying a pair of its Aerosoles. The company designs women's footwear under the Aerosoles, What's What, A2, Aerology, Sole A, and Flexation brands. Its shoes are sold in more than 250 Aerosoles stores in the US and abroad, as well as by catalog, Web site, and through thousands of department and specialty stores (such as Kohl's, Macy's, and Boscov's). Originally a division of Kenneth Cole, CEO Jules Schneider got together a group of investors and took the business private in 1987.

Hampton Lumber Sales (HLS) is the sales division of privately held Hampton Affiliates. The division sells dimensional lumber, stud lumber, industrial lumber and clears, panel products, and engineered wood products. HLS sells more than a billion board ft. of Hampton's mill products and another billion ft. of outside-mill products. It ships products by unit, container, railcar (utilizing Hampton's private fleet of center beam railcars), or truckload to serve its wholesale customers. Additionally, the unit offers reload services from centers in California, Oregon, and Washington. Formed in 1950, HLS has grown to be one of the largest forest products wholesalers in the nation.

Southern Co-operatives originally dipped its toe into the co-operative market in 1873. The regional consumer co- operative society operates about 120 convenience stores under The Co-op banner in mid-southern England. The co-op added the David's chain of convenience stores on the Isle of Wight during the past few years. Its other lines of business include funeral services and property investment. The co-op exited the milk delivery business -- Southern Co-operative Dairies by selling it to the Co-operative Group (CWS). Established as the Portsea Island Mutual Co-operative Society by dockyard workers in Portsmouth, the group changed its name to Southern Co-operatives Limited in 1998.

George Weston Limited is a Canadian public company, founded in 1882, engaged in food processing and distribution. The Company has two reportable operating segments: Loblaw Companies Limited and Weston Foods, and holds cash and short term investments. The Loblaw operating segment, which is operated by Loblaw Companies Limited and its subsidiaries, is Canada’s largest food distributor and a leading provider of general merchandise, drugstore, and financial products and services. The Weston Foods operating segment is a leading fresh and frozen baking company in Canada and is engaged in frozen baking and biscuit manufacturing in the United States. Weston seeks long term, stable growth in its operating segments through continuous capital investment supported by a strong balance sheet, thereby providing sustainable returns to its shareholders through a combination of common share price appreciation and dividends. In order to be successful in delivering long term value to shareholders and to fulfill its long term objectives of security and growth, Weston employs various operating strategies. Weston Foods concentrates on brand development, low operating costs and maintaining a broad customer base, with the objective of being the best provider of bakery solutions and fresh dairy products to its customers. Loblaw concentrates on food retailing, with the objective of providing Canadian consumers with the best in one-stop shopping for everyday household needs.

Launched in 1993 in the UK, QVC UK's TV announcers reveal and demonstrate everything from fluffy toys and collectors' knives to jewelry and fashion. About 15,000 products come from such manufacturers as Panasonic, Hush Puppies, Canon, Birkenstock, and Samsung reaching most homes receiving cable, direct broadcast, or satellite programming throughout England, Ireland, and Scotland. The company is the UK arm of QVC, Inc., part of Liberty Media's Liberty Interactive Group. "Quality, value, and convenience," better known as QVC, the Shopping Channel, is famous for its diversity of weird and wonderful objects sold by presenters such as Simon Biagi and and Alison Keenan, over both the telly and the Internet.

Through its eponymous print catalog and e-commerce site, Dr. Leonard's Healthcare Corp. offers a variety of health products aimed at seniors, along with clothing, collectibles, exercise equipment, home furnishings, housewares, and shoes. It also runs Carol Wright Gifts, an affiliated catalog and online retailer that sells similar merchandise as well as kitchen gadgets, travel items, gardening supplies, and holiday gifts. The company was established in 1979 by Dr. Leonard Feldman, and it operates as a subsidiary of direct marketing giant AmeriMark Holdings.

A.S. Watson (ASW) is the retail and manufacturing arm of the Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa. Like its powerful parent company, ASW is a giant in its industries, with operations in some 35 markets throughout Asia and Europe. Its businesses include supermarkets (Park'N Shop), health and beauty stores (Watson's, Drogas, Trekpleister, and Kruidvat), Fortress consumer electronics and appliance stores in Hong Kong and Macau, soft drink and water bottling operations, and wine retailing (Watson's Wine Cellar). In all, ASW operates 20-plus retail chains with more than 8,700 stores including the UK's Superdrug and Savers chains. ASW also has a joint venture with German discount health and beauty chain Rossmann.

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