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.

The consumption structure is changing rapidly with an aging society, a falling birthrate and the rise of other business categories. It is no exaggeration to say that those department stores that are unable to respond to these changes will be shunned by consumers and will go into decline. We are at an existential moment, where the very value of department stores is in question. In this environment, Takashimaya aims to become the leading region-oriented department store, taking advantage of its powerful network of 20 stores nationwide. We are committed to earning the confidence of customers in the communities in which we operate, reflecting regional characteristics in our store operations, while at the same time cherishing features that have been specific to Takashimaya.

Founded in 1989, K&G is owned by The Men's Wearhouse and accounts for nearly 20% of its parent company's sales. After purchasing K&G, Men's Wearhouse converted most of its outlets to the K&G Fashion Superstores banner, and began adding women's and children's apparel to the racks. The feminization of K&G Men's Company is well underway. The retailer operates about 105 deep-discount career apparel superstores in more than 25 states. Its stores feature brand-name and private-label tailored and casual clothing, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and children. The bargain warehouse-type stores average about 23,000 sq. ft. and offer first-run merchandise at prices 30%-60% lower than department stores.

Ryan Automotive was founded in 1998 by owners Greg Ryan and John Kokladas. Ryan Automotive brings steel belted radials to the home of the Steelers. The Goodyear tire dealership has four locations in the Pittsburgh area: Moon Township, Kennedy Township, Crafton, and Pleasant Hills. The company offers a wide range of automobile services including air conditioning work, batteries, belt replacement, brake jobs, oil changes, shocks and struts, and transmission maintenance. It also performs vehicle inspections and service to insure compliance with Pennsylvania's auto emissions laws.

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.

In 1915, M.B. Skaggs, an ambitious young man in the small Idaho town of American Falls, purchased a tiny grocery store from his father. M.B.'s business strategy, to give his customers value and to expand by keeping a narrow profit margin, proved spectaculary successful. By 1926 he was opening 428 Skaggs stores in 10 states. M.B. almost doubled the size of his business that year when he merged his company with 322 Safeway (formerly Selig) stores. Two years later M.B. listed Safeway on the New York Stock Exchange. M.B. did not let the difficulties of the Great Depression dilute his pioneering focus on value for customers. In the 1930s Safeway introduced produce pricing by the pound, opening dating on perishables to assure freshness, nutritional labeling, even some of the first parking lots.

Selfridges Retail Limited Company Profile Manhattan has Macy's; London has Selfridges. With 540,000 sq. ft. of selling space, the flagship Selfridges & Co. department store is still one of the biggest stores in the world and one of the top shops on London's posh Oxford Street. Selfridges also runs two smaller department stores in Manchester and a fourth location in Birmingham. The upmarket retailer sells a wide selection of brand-name fashion apparel, electronics, and housewares, but it aims to entertain as well with 15 in-store bars, cafes, and restaurants and a nearby 250-room, four-star hotel.

One of the largest automotive parts distributors in North America, Keystone Automotive Operations keeps a solid logistics plan locked in place. Keystone Automotive Operations provides more than 700 lines of automotive parts and accessories to some 17,000 customers, mostly small specialty retailers and installers, in the US, Canada, and about 40 other countries. It operates four warehouses and about 20 stocking facilities in the US and Canada, as well as a fleet of more than 300 delivery trucks. In addition, Keystone Automotive Operations runs about 25 retail stores in Pennsylvania under the A&A Auto Parts banner. Founded by the Amato family in 1971, Keystone Automotive is controlled by Bain Capital.

H&M opened its first women's clothing store in 1947 as Hennes (Swedish for "hers"); it later bought the hunting and men's clothing store Mauritz Widforss. H&M is controlled by the family of chairman Stefan Persson (the billionaire son of founder Erling Persson). H&M Hennes & Mauritz targets the Hip & Modish. The firm designs cheap yet chic clothing, mainly for men and women ages 18 to 45, children's apparel, and its own brands of cosmetics. Fast-growing H&M operates about 2,000 stores in some 35 countries and has direct sales operations in selected areas. Germany is H&M's #1 market, accounting for about 25% of sales. About 60% of its clothing is made in Asia, the rest is manufactured primarily in Europe.

Axfood gives the chilly Nordic region the Willys. Axfood AB is one of the largest food retailers in Sweden (behind ICA and Coop),operating about 110 wholly owned Willys (discount grocery stores),30-plus Willys hemma (neighborhood grocers),and some 165 Hemkp (upscale grocery stores for food enthusiasts) stores. Axfood also operates shops under the Handlar'n and Tempo banners. Its Axfood Narlivs unit is a nationwide wholesaler serving convenience store retailers, restaurants, and foodservice companies through about 20 cash and carry outlets and several distribution centers. Subsidiary Dagab serves as Axfood AB company's logistics arm. Swedish food importer and retailer Axel Johnson owns about 46% of Axfood.

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