Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) can prepare you for a life of climb. EMS sells a wide range of outdoor gear, apparel, footwear, and accessories from about 65 stores in a dozen East Coast states from Maine to Virginia and on its website. Outdoor enthusiasts can purchase or rent tents, sleeping bags, and other equipment -- choosing from brands such as Patagonia, Columbia, The North Face, and Teva. The retailer's own EMS branded products account for more than a third of sales. EMS offers outdoor skills clinics, provides guides for hire, and arranges day and overnight trips. It also operates climbing and kayaking schools. EMS was founded in 1967 by two New England rock climbers.

Books-A-Million, Inc. operates as a book retailer in the southeastern United States. The company operates superstores and traditional bookstores that offer a selection of hardcover and paperback books, magazines, and newspapers. It also offers other merchandise, including gifts, cards, collectibles, magazines, music, and DVDs, as well as coffee, tea, and other edible products. The company also offers its products over the Internet at Booksamillion.com. It markets its products under the trademarks of Books-A-Million, BAM! Books-A-Million, Bookland, Books & Co., Millionaire’s Club, Sweet Water Press, Thanks-A-Million, Big Fat Coloring Book, Up All Night Reader, Read & Save Rebate, Readables Accessories for Readers, Kids-A-Million, Teachers First, The Write-Price, Bambeanos, Hold That Thought, Book$mart, BAMM, BAMM.com, BOOKSAMILLION.com, Chillatte, Joe Muggs Newsstand, Page Pets, JOEMUGGS.com, FAITHPOINT.com, Faithmark, Joe Muggs, Anderson’s Bookland, Snow Joe, American Wholesale Book Company, AWBC, and NetCentral. As of January 31, 2010, the company operated 223 stores, including 201 superstores under the Books-A-Million and Books & Co. brands; and 22 traditional stores under the Bookland and Books-A-Million brands in 22 states and the District of Columbia. Books-A-Million, Inc. was founded in 1917 and is based in Birmingham, Alabama.

CD Warehouse franchises (mostly) and owns music stores that sell, trade, and buy new and used CDs. The company sells through about 150 CD Warehouse, CD Exchange, Music Trader, and Disc Go Round stores located in more than 35 states. The company also has stores in Canada, Guatemala, France, Thailand, the UK, and Venezuela. Most stores are in strip shopping centers and offer between 10,000 and 16,000 CDs. The majority of sales are from used CDs; the company also sells DVDs, posters, and T-shirts. CD Warehouse is owned by Magnolia Entertainment.

Sam Ash Music has been instrumental in many a musician's livelihood. The #2 musical instrument retailer in the US (behind Guitar Center), Sam Ash Music (SAM) operates about 45 stores in more than 15 states including California, New York, and Texas. Besides instruments, SAM sells sheet music, recording equipment, lighting, computers, and music software. It also sells online. SAM also sells vintage guitars, offers custom-built instruments and music clinics, and buys used musical instruments. It also runs a pro services and parts division, Sam Ash Professional, and an Educational Division serving schools. The company was founded in 1924 by Sam and Rose Ashkynase, whose descendants still own and run the company.

The Forzani Group in 1974. Forzani has since become Canada's largest sporting goods retailer. The company operates more than 330 company-owned stores under such banners as Athletes World, Coast Mountain Sports, Sport Chek, S3, Sport Mart, and National Sports. The company also franchises about 230 stores under names that include Atmosphere, Econosports, Hockey Experts, Intersport, and Sports Experts. It has about a 20% share of the sporting goods retail market in Canada.

Holt's Cigar Company gets stoked about stogies. The company sells more than 170 brands of premium cigars, including its Ashton and Holt's brands, and related smoking accessories (cases, humidors, lighters, ashtrays). Almost half of its sales are from wholesale distribution through a direct sales force. It also sells cigars through a catalog, its Web site, a pair of stores in Philadelphia, and a club in Philly's Wachovia Complex arena. Dominican Republic-based Fuente Cigar supplies two-thirds of the company's smokes. HCH Acquisition, controlled by Holt's Cigar CEO Robert Levin and the Fuente family, took the company private in December 2000.

In 1959, William Jacobs started Columbus Fair Auto Auction based on excellent customer service and fairness. He recognized that auctions offered a solution to automobile dealers' needs for a source and marketplace for used motor vehicles.Obviously, the financial risk of leasing space at the Ohio State Fairgrounds to run a one-lane auction in 1959 was small, but significant for this startup entrepreneurial endeavor. It, however, pales in comparison to the present multi-million dollar investment in today's 85-acre facility in Obetz. However, the original strategy of offering a marketplace for used vehicles where buyers and sellers would congregate for the benefit of both continues today.

Alvarez Lincoln-Mercury began when president Ramon Alvarez, the son of a family from Tijuana that founded Baja California's first airline, purchased floundering Riverside Lincoln-Mercury in 1996 and renamed it. Within months the dealership was at the top in sales for the region after tapping into the Hispanic market.As its name implies, Alvarez Lincoln-Mercury sells new Lincolns and Mercurys, but also high-end car make Jaguar through its dealership in Riverside, California. The dealership also sells many models of used cars. Its Web site lets visitors search inventory, price cars, arrange for a service appointment, order parts, and apply for financing.

Brown & Brown Chevrolet became part of AutoNation in 1998, but retained the Brown & Brown Chevrolet local market brand.Customers hope air conditioning comes standard on Brown & Brown Chevrolet's vehicles. Located in Mesa, Arizona, the company is part of the AutoNation family and markets new and used cars and trucks. Brown & Brown Chevrolet offers customers a chance to research (through a link to Kelley Blue Book), search, and get a free quote using its brownandbrownchevy.com Web site. The auto retailer peddles some 30 Chevrolet models, including SUVs, coupes, hatchbacks, vans, wagons, trucks, convertibles, and others.

For Douglas Holding, there is no scent sweeter than perfume. The retail conglomerate operates about 2,000 stores in some two dozen European countries and the US. It is a leading perfume retailer in Europe with more than 1,100 perfumeries (445 in its home market Germany). In addition to perfume, Douglas Holding sells skin care and cosmetic products. The company's other retail divisions include jewelry and watches (Christ, Rene Kern), fashion (AppelrathCupper and Pohland), books (Thalia and Internet book seller buch.de), and confectionery (Hussel). While about two-thirds of the group's sales originate in Germany, its non-German operations are driving growth.

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