Joe and Mike Zeiden founded Z Gallerie in 1979, using their parents' garage for a warehouse and production facility. Initially Z Gallerie (later joined by sister Carole Malfatti) sold poster art, but in the 1980s the trio added home furnishings and accessories to the merchandising mix. Today Z Gallerie stores, which span some 10,000 sq. ft. on average, feature bedding and pillows, dinnerware, glassware, rugs, lamps, candleholders, clocks, frames and albums, games, and gifts. The firm's eclectic pieces are sold through its website and some 55 US retail locations in nearly 20 states. Z Gallerie exited Chapter 11 in fall 2009 after a six-month stint in bankruptcy.

Balducci's has the right ingredients to attract hungry gourmands.The chain operates half a dozen upscale specialty food stores under the Balducci's name in Connecticut, Maryland, New York,and Virginia.The markets offer such fare as fresh pasta,Wagyu beef,and imported cheeses.It also stocks prepared meals and beer and wine.Louis "Pop" Balducci opened the first Balducci's in Brooklyn in 1915 and expanded to Greenwich Village in Manhattan in 1946.In 2009 the private equity firm Irving Place Capital (formerly Bear Stearns Merchant Banking)sold six Balducci's stores to an investor group led by Jim Demme,senior advisor to the New York City-based investment firm Angelo,Gordon&Co.

Shoe Carnival, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a footwear retailer. Its stores offer dress and casual shoes, sandals, and boots, as well as a range of athletic shoes, such as running, basketball, and fitness shoes for men, women, children, and athletics. The company also provides accessory items, including handbags, shoe care items, and socks. It owns various registered trademarks and servicemarks, consisting of Shoe Carnival, The Carnival, Donna Lawrence, Oak Meadow, Victoria Spenser, Via Nova, Innocence, Carnival Lites, Y-NOT, UNR8ED, Solanz, and 93 Octane. As of January 30, 2010, the company operated 311 stores in 30 states primarily in the midwest, south, and southeast regions of the United States. Shoe Carnival, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is based in Evansville, Indiana.

J.P. Boden & Co. (better known simply as Boden) is a UK direct retailer of premium casual apparel. The company sells womenswear and menswear under the Boden name, teen apparel under the Johnnie B label, and children's clothing under the Mini Boden brand. It markets the collections through its catalogs and Web site. J.P. Boden also operates two retail stores in the UK. The company got its start in 1991 when chairman Johnnie Boden quit his job as a stockbroker in London to open up his own clothing business. Designing its catalogs to resemble those of J. Crew, the company's first editions featured friends and family striking poses as fashion models. Boden is a 50% owner of the firm.

Sapp Bros Travel Centers (formerly Sapp Bros Truck Stops) has the usual air, gas, food, but also offers human conveniences such such as laundry rooms, mailbox rentals, private showers, and TV lounges. The company operates a chain of some 15 truck stops -- readily identifiable by the giant red-and-white coffeepot logo -- along interstate highways from Utah to Pennsylvania; with a concentration in Nebraska. Half of the locations also operate service centers, offering oil changes, new tires, and safety checks. Its sister company, Sapp Bros Petroleum, distributes petroleum products in Nebraska and western Iowa. The firm is run by CEO Bill Sapp, one of the four founding Sapp brothers.

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.

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.

Plaid Pantries operates more than 100 convenience stores under the Plaid Pantry banner in Oregon and Washington. Many of the shops offer in-store Subway and Taco Bell outlets, as well as gas and automatic check-cashing machines. After years of selling its own brand of gas (Plaid-Plus), the regional convenience store chain has switched to offering branded gas (ConocoPhillips and Shell) at its stores that sell fuel. Plaid Pantries got its start in 1960 and got its name, courtesy of founder John Piacentini, from the red-and-white checkered design then featured in all of its locations.

Pathmark's rival in the Northeast, acquired the chain for about $1.4 billion in late 2007. Three years later, A&P filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Pathmark rings up about 45% of A&P's annual sales.Pathmark Stores hopes it's finally on the upward path now that it has become part of the A&P family of grocery chains. Pathmark operates about 140 supermarkets, under the Pathmark and Pathmark Sav-A-Center banners, in densely populated areas in four states: Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Many of its stores are Pathmark Super Centers, which offer an expanded selection of general merchandise and foods, nearly all have pharmacies, and more than half have in-store banks

Repco has all you need for getting down under the bonnet. It sells some 175,000 auto parts and accessories through more than 430 stores located in Australia and New Zealand. The company is an Original Equipment Supplier (OES) and is part of the Independent Aftermarket (IAM) group. The largest car-parts and accessories chain in Australia and New Zealand, Repco also imports and distributes auto parts through its Motospecs division. Its Ashdown Ingram division supplies auto electrical goods and services, while its McLeod's business provides motorcycle accessories. The company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of CCMP Acquisition Co. Pty. Limited (owned by CCMP Capital Asia Pte. Ltd.) in 2007.

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