Founded by Rowland Schaefer and later run by his daughters, Bonnie and Marla Schaefer, Claire's Stores was sold to an affiliate of the New York-based private equity firm Apollo Management for about $3 billion in 2007. If the difference between men and boys is the price of their toys, for young women and girls, it may be the price of their accessories. For thrifty, fashion-conscious females ages 3 to 27, Claire's Stores is the queen of costume jewelry, handbags, and hair bows. The company operates nearly 3,000 boutiques, primarily in malls, under the Claire's and Icing banners. The chain is present in all 50 US states, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Canada, as well as about 10 European countries.

Guyenne et Gascogne and Carrefour jointly own Sogara, which operates about a dozen Carrefour hypermarkets in southwest France. In addition, Sogara owns about 8% of Centros Comerciales Carrefour (Carrefour's Spanish subsidiary), which operates some 165 Carrefour hypermarkets and 100-plus Carrefour Express supermarkets and Carrefour City stores. The Beau family owns about a fifth of Guyenne et Gascogne.Guyenne et Gascogne cares for Carrefour. Established in 1913, Guyenne et Gascogne is a leading franchise operator for French-based supermarket giant Carrefour. Guyenne et Gascogne (named after two ancient French provinces) runs 30-plus Carrefour hypermarkets and Champion supermarkets in southwestern France.

Maner Builders Supply Company was founded in 1951 as the Maner Hardware & Supply Company. You can build a manor house with what Maner Builders Supply Company can offer. It sells and distributes building supplies such as cabinets, doors, fencing materials, gypsum, masonry, roofing, and windows, through about a half dozen locations in Georgia and the Carolinas. Maner Builders Supply company offers free quotes, free delivery, and warranty assistance for its customers. Maner Builders Supply carries products from manufacturers such as Bradley, Buckley Rumford Fireplaces, Ceco Door, Makita, Palmetto Brick, Parex, and Wellborn Cabinet.

Keller Supply was founded by Howard Keller in 1945 and is still owned and run by the Keller family, including CEO Nick Keller. If you're building a house in the Pacific Northwest, Keller has the supplies you need. Through about 55 locations in Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, Keller Supply distributes residential and commercial HVAC, plumbing, and pool and spa products from more than 1,000 manufacturers including Kohler, Honeywell International, Rheem, Porter-Cable, and Pentair . Customers include contractors and home improvement retailers as well as international customers in Canada and farther afield.

Destination Maternity Corporation engages in the design and retail of maternity apparel. Destination Maternity Corporation offers casual and career wear, formal attire, lingerie, sportswear, and outerwear. As of September 30, 2009, Destination Maternity Corporation operated 1,084 retail locations, including 724 stores in 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Canada, and 360 leased departments located within department stores and baby specialty stores throughout the United States. It operates stores under Motherhood Maternity, A Pea in the Pod, and Destination Maternity brand names. Motherhood Maternity brand serves the value-priced portion of the maternity apparel industry; and stores are located in regional malls, strip and power centers, and central business districts. A Pea in the Pod brand serves both the medium-priced portion and the luxury portion of the maternity apparel business; and stores are located in regional malls, lifestyle centers, central business districts, and certain stand-alone stores in affluent street locations. Destination Maternity brand carries Motherhood and Pea merchandise; and stores are located in regional malls and lifestyle centers. Destination Maternity Corporation also sells its products on the Web through its DestinationMaternity.com and brand-specific Web sites. In addition, Destination Maternity Corporation offers Two Hearts Maternity by Destination Maternity collection at approximately 600 Sears and Kmart locations throughout the U.S. through a leased department relationship. Destination Maternity Corporation also distributes its Oh Baby by Motherhood collection through a licensed arrangement at Kohl's stores in the U.S. and on Kohls.com. Further, it has franchise and product supply relationships in India and the Middle East. Destination Maternity Corporation was formerly known as Mothers Work, Inc. and changed its name to Destination Maternity Corporation in December 2008. Destination Maternity Corporation was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

ecohaus wants to improve on the home improvement store. The company offers some 1,500 eco-friendly building materials and products. It operates an online store for its green building supplies, as well as a pair of showrooms in Washington and Oregon for retail customers and trade professionals. Both showrooms were remodeled in 2008. ecohaus's products include reclaimed wood flooring, low-toxic paints, low-flow toilets, formaldehyde-free cabinets, and recycled-glass tiles. Matthew Freeman-Gleason, the company's chief knowledge officer, started the firm as a small storefront in 1992 on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Freeman-Gleason and chairman Tim Taylor are major shareholders of the company.

OrePac company was founded in 1977 by president Glenn Hart. What's best for OrePac is western home centers. The company distributes lumber and building materials to retail lumberyards, home improvement stores, and door and manufactured-home plants, primarily in the western US. OrePac operates about 10 branches in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. In addition, the company's distribution zone includes Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Products include finished lumber, millwork, molding, roofing, and siding. OrePac also exports lumber and specialty building products to international customers.

Restoration Hardware sells upscale home furnishings, hardware, bathware, garden products, and decorative items through more than 100 retail and outlet stores in 30 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. It also markets products through its catalogs and e-commerce sites. Restoration Hardware's assortment of home and office furniture is supplemented in part by its subsidiary The Michaels Furniture Company. Founded in 1980 by former chairman Stephen Gordon, Restoration Hardware was acquired for $175 million by private equity firms Catterton Partners and Tower Three Partners in 2008.

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.

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.

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