Famed toy store FAO Schwarz is a kid pleaser, but as a business it's had its ups and downs. The oldest toy store in the US charms the young (and young at heart) at its landmark store on New York's Fifth Avenue where it sells unique, hard-to-find toys, such as life-size stuffed bears and $50,000 kid-size Ferraris. A major tourist attraction, it hosts more than 3 million visitors each year. Being a kid itself, FAO Schwarz has a sweet tooth, with its sweets shop called FAO Schweetz. After years of unprofitable expansion in an age where mass merchants, such as Wal-Mart, rule toy retailing, it's down to a single location, a catalog, and a website. Toy titan Toys "R" Us added FAO Schwarz to its toy chest in 2009.

D'Ieteren s.a was founded two centuries ago as a coachbuilder; these days, it's the largest car distributor in Belgium, the 60% owner of car rental firm Avis Europe, and -- through subsidiary Belron -- one of the world's largest players in vehicle glass replacement. D'Ieteren's domestic vehicle distribution business deals Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche, Seat, Skoda, and Volkswagen cars, as well as Yamaha motorcycles. Belron operates in Australia, Europe, North and South America, and New Zealand under the CARGLASS and AUTOGLASS brands, among others. The firm has been managed by six generations of the founding D'Ieteren family.

Edible Arrangements has about 940 franchised locations in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, the UK, the Middle East, Italy, Turkey, and Hong Kong. CEO Tariq Farid started Edible Arrangements in 1999 after doing software consulting for a similar business. "Please don't eat the daisies" simply doesn't apply here. Edible Arrangements creates bouquets of hand-sculpted fresh fruit that are blooming with flower-shaped pineapples, shoots of melon slices, sprigs of skewered grapes, and an assortment of apple wedges, bananas, oranges, and strawberries. Customers can also add chocolate-dipped fruit to their arrangements. In addition to bouquets, the company offers smoothies and fruit salads at some shops.

Midas, Inc. provides retail automotive services through franchised or company-operated shops primarily in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It sells Midas, SpeeDee, and Midas-SpeeDee co-branded franchises. Midas company’s retail shops offer automotive repair and maintenance services, such as exhaust, brake, suspension, air conditioning, tires, batteries, and various other maintenance services. As of January 2, 2010, it operated the Midas network of 1,602 shops located in the United States and 9 Canadian provinces; the SpeeDee network of franchised and company-operated shops consisting of 112 shops located in 12 states in the United States; and 776 Midas shops licensed in 14 other countries, and 57 licensed SpeeDee shops in Mexico. Midas, Inc. also involves in the real estate activities, including the development, ownership, and lease of Midas and SpeeDee shops in the United States and Canada; and supply chain activities comprising the provision of value-added merchandising services to franchisees. In addition, it owns, develops, sells, and leases automotive shop management software to Midas franchisees and other third-party automotive service providers. Midas, Inc. was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Itasca, Illinois.

Current USA is a leading direct marketer of greeting cards and gift wrap, scrapbooking supplies, stationery, and home decorating items. It sells under the brands Times to Cherish (scrapbooking supplies), Colorful Images (personalized address labels and other paper products), Lillian Vernon (gifts and home decor), and, of course, Current. The company also operates an outlet store in Colorado and a fundraising business that lets not-for-profit groups sell its products and share the proceeds. Founded in the 1950s, Current USA was initially run out of the basement of founders Orin and Miriam Loo. The company, which was family owned and operated until 1986, is a subsidiary of printing giant Taylor.

FTD.COM is an Internet and telephone marketer of flowers and specialty gifts. Founded by FTD, the world's oldest floral services organization, FTD.COM sells directly to consumers through its Web site, www.ftd.com, and its 1-800-SEND-FTD telephone number. Utilizing independent FTD florists who adhere to the highest quality and service standards, FTD.COM provides same-day delivery of floral orders to nearly 100 percent of the U.S. population. FTD.COM offers a wide variety of unique floral arrangements and specialty gifts for holidays and other occasions. On June 27, 2002, FTD.COM became a wholly owned subsidiary of Florists' Transworld Delivery, Inc. Additional information about FTD.COM; its parent company, Florists' Transworld Delivery, Inc.; and its respective parent companies, FTD, Inc. and FTD Group Inc., is available under the "investor relations" category on this site.

Retail Ventures, Inc. through its subsidiary, DSW Inc., operates as a specialty branded footwear retailer in the United States. Retail Ventures, Inc., through DSW stores and dsw.com, offers a selection of branded dress, casual, and athletic footwear and accessories for women and men. As of January 30, 2010, it operated 305 DSW shoe stores in 39 states. Retail Ventures, Inc. also supplied shoes to 356 locations for non-related retailers. Retail Ventures, Inc. was founded in 1917 and is based in Columbus, Ohio.

Hicks may be in the sticks, but it has the supplies sporting goods retailers need. The company distributes marine, fishing, hunting, archery, and other outdoor products to retailers nationwide. Its bi-annual trade shows draw more than 1,500 retailers nationwide to look at boats, guns, fishing tackle, bows, arrows, and other recreational goodies. The company carries more than 30,000 items from 700 vendors and sells through a B2B site, as well. Hicks was founded in the early 1900s and has been family owned and run since. Third- and fourth-generation family members hold the chairman and CFO (John M. Wise) and president and CEO (John M. Wise, Jr.) positions.

Flying Brands' company products are continually flying off the shelves. Flying Brands Limited company sells animal and bird feed, audio books, flowers, and other items through its mail-order operations. It operates under such names as Flying Flowers and Gardening Bird Supplies. Flying Brands Limited company was established in the 1980s as a carnation exporter and has expanded each year since then. Flying Brands owns UK greeting cards business Greetings Direct, as well. Flying Brands Limited company also operates retail websites for each of its subsidiaries, including Flowers Direct and Garden Centre Online. Flying Brands sold its Benham Collectibles business to The Stanley Gibbons Group in late 2010.

Bromberg and Co. is a jeweler and high-end retailer that sells china, crystal, jewelry, and sterling flatware through four Bromberg's stores in Alabama. Its fine offerings come from such makers as David Yurman, Mikimoto, Rolex, and Wedgwood. The company also operates an online bridal registry. In 2004 brothers Billy and John Bromberg, formerly part of the company's management, sold their stake in Bromberg and Co. to other family members (including chairman Frank Bromberg Jr.) and left to form their own jewelry store. Bromberg and Co. was originally founded by the Bromberg family in 1836.

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