Retail Brand Guidelines: Supermarkets, Big-Box Stores, Drugstores and Department Stores
One hundred and forty-two brand guides to the stores — supermarkets, warehouse clubs, big-box chains, drugstores and department stores.
Retail brands are seen more often than almost any others. These guides look at how each store chain built its identity, and how it is owned.
Unusual structures
Several chains are organised in unusual ways: REI is a member-owned co-op; Ace Hardware is a retailer-owned cooperative; Publix is employee-owned; and Wegmans is family-owned. Aldi’s guide explains the Nord/Süd split — US Aldi is Aldi Süd, while Aldi Nord owns Trader Joe’s — and Sam’s Club belongs to Walmart.
Name stories
7-Eleven is named for its original 7am–11pm hours, Macy’s red star comes from Rowland Macy’s whaling-days tattoo, and Best Buy’s name came from a 1981 tornado sale. Bed Bath & Beyond collapsed in 2023.
How to use these guides
Each guide covers who owns the name today, where the products are made — by the maker’s own account and, where it differs, by other sources — and the brand’s visual identity. A company’s description of itself is attributed to the company, and where a business has closed we say so plainly. The table at the end gathers the essentials.
Retail icons
Costco, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, 7-Eleven, Best Buy, The Home Depot and CVS.
- Costco — The 1983 Seattle warehouse origin, the deliberately no-frills brand, Kirkland Signature, the $1.50 hot dog, and the red-and-blue wordmark.
- Trader Joe’s — Joe Coulombe’s 1967 Pasadena origin, the South Seas/nautical theme, the hand-lettered signage and Hawaiian-shirt crew, the private-label cult, and Aldi Nord ownership.
- Whole Foods — The 1980 Austin founding (four co-founders), the green organic identity, the ‘Whole Paycheck’ nickname, and Amazon’s $13.7B acquisition.
- 7-Eleven — The 1927 Southland Ice origin, the 1946 name for 7am–11pm hours, the mysterious lowercase ‘n’, the Slurpee, and Japanese ownership by Seven & i Holdings.
- Best Buy — The ‘Sound of Music’ origin, the 1981 Tornado Sale that inspired the name, the yellow price-tag logo, Geek Squad, and its Minnesota independence.
- The Home Depot — The 1978 Marcus/Blank founding, the iconic orange stencil box logo, the orange-apron culture, ‘You can do it. We can help.’, and its Atlanta independence.
- CVS — The 1963 ‘Consumer Value Store’ origin, the CVS Health heart logo, the landmark 2014 tobacco exit and rebrand, the long-receipts meme, and CVS Health ownership.
Stores, part 2
Walgreens, Kroger, Macy’s, Nordstrom, REI, GameStop and Aldi.
- Walgreens — Charles Walgreen’s 1901 Chicago drugstore, the red cursive script wordmark, the malted-milkshake heritage, and the Walgreens Boots Alliance / Sycamore ownership.
- Kroger — Barney Kroger’s 1883 Cincinnati start, the one-stop-shop innovations, the blue wordmark and ‘Fresh for Everyone’ rebrand, and the family of grocery banners.
- Macy’s — Rowland Macy’s 1858 New York store, the red star from his whaling-days tattoo, the Herald Square flagship, the Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Macy’s, Inc. ownership.
- Nordstrom — The 1901 Seattle shoe-store origin, the legendary customer service (and the true tire-return story), the elegant black wordmark, and the 2025 take-private.
- REI — The 1938 Seattle mountaineering-co-op origin, the member-owned model and dividend, the #OptOutside Black Friday closure, and the green ‘REI Co-op’ badge.
- GameStop — The Babbage’s 1984 origin, the used-games trade-in model, the bold red wordmark, the historic 2021 meme-stock short squeeze, and Ryan Cohen’s leadership.
- Aldi — The Albrecht brothers’ discount origin, the Aldi Nord/Süd split (US Aldi = Süd; Nord owns Trader Joe’s), the no-frills model, and the multicolor ‘A’ logo.
Stores, part 3
Dollar General, Dollar Tree, TJ Maxx, Ulta Beauty, Dick’s, Chewy and Publix.
- Dollar General — The Turner family’s 1939 origin and 1955 dollar-store concept, the small-town rural strategy, the yellow-and-black wordmark, and NYSE:DG ownership.
- Dollar Tree — The 1986 ‘Only $1.00’ origin, the decades-long single-dollar price point (now $1.25), the green tree logo, and NASDAQ:DLTR ownership.
- TJ Maxx — The 1976 Cammarata/Zayre origin, the off-price treasure-hunt model, the ‘Maxxinista’, the ‘TK Maxx’ international name, and TJX ownership.
- Ulta Beauty — The 1990 ‘Ulta3’ founding, the mass-plus-prestige-plus-salon superstore model, the orange wordmark, Ultamate Rewards, and NASDAQ:ULTA ownership.
- Dick’s Sporting Goods — Dick Stack’s 1948 bait-and-tackle origin, the red-and-black wordmark, the House of Sport format, the 2018 firearms decision, and NYSE:DKS ownership.
- Chewy — Ryan Cohen’s 2011 ‘Mr. Chewy’ origin, the PetSmart acquisition, the friendly blue wordmark, and the famous emotional customer service (pet portraits, sympathy flowers).
- Publix — George Jenkins’ 1930 Winter Haven origin, the employee-owned structure, ‘Where Shopping Is a Pleasure’, the green wordmark, and the cult Pub Sub.
Stores, part 4
Kohl’s, Wegmans, Lidl, PetSmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Barnes & Noble and AutoZone.
- Kohl’s — Maxwell Kohl’s 1927 grocery origin and 1962 department store, the mid-tier off-mall model, Kohl’s Cash, the Amazon and Sephora partnerships, and NYSE:KSS.
- Wegmans — The Wegman brothers’ 1916 Rochester origin, the cult-favorite customer loyalty, the family-owned structure, the Market Café, and the green cursive wordmark.
- Lidl — Dieter Schwarz’s 1973 discount origin, the ‘Lidl’ name story, the Schwarz Group, the blue-yellow-red logo, the Aldi rivalry, and the private ownership.
- PetSmart — The 1986 ‘PetFood Warehouse’ origin, the adoption-not-selling model, the Pet-red/Smart-blue wordmark, the BC Partners buyout, and the Chewy acquisition.
- Bed Bath & Beyond — The 1971 ‘Bed ’n Bath’ origin, the iconic blue 20%-off coupon, the cluttered-abundance stores, the 2023 collapse, and the Beyond, Inc. online revival.
- Barnes & Noble — The 1886 heritage and Riggio’s 1971 relaunch, the browse-and-café superstore, the Nook, the Elliott/James Daunt turnaround, and the classic green serif.
- AutoZone — The 1979 ‘Auto Shack’ origin and 1987 rename, the DIY free-services model, the red italic wordmark, ‘Get in the Zone’, and NYSE:AZO ownership.
Stores, part 5
Petco, Michaels, Ross, Bass Pro Shops, Staples, Tractor Supply and Safeway.
- Petco — The 1965 UPCO mail-order origin, the health-and-wellness pivot, the no-artificial-ingredients and #StopTheShock moves, the adoption model, and the WOOF ticker.
- Michaels — The 1973 Dallas crafts-store origin, the big-box arts-and-crafts model, the ‘40% off’ coupon culture, the red wordmark, and Apollo ownership.
- Ross Dress for Less — The Morris Ross name, the 1982 off-price relaunch, the treasure-hunt model, ‘Dress for Less’, dd’s DISCOUNTS, and NASDAQ:ROST ownership.
- Bass Pro Shops — Johnny Morris’ 1972 back-of-a-liquor-store origin, the experiential ‘Outdoor World’ megastores, the leaping-bass logo, the Cabela’s acquisition, and private ownership.
- Staples — The 1986 office-superstore origin, the red wordmark with the bent-‘L’ staple, the iconic ‘That was easy’ Easy Button, the blocked Office Depot merger, and Sycamore ownership.
- Tractor Supply — The 1938 mail-order tractor-parts origin, the ‘everything except tractors’ rural-lifestyle model, the red logo and ‘Life Out Here’, and NASDAQ:TSCO ownership.
- Safeway — The 1915 Skaggs origin, the 1926 ‘Safeway’ cash-and-carry name, the red flying-S logo, the private labels, and the Albertsons ownership.
Stores, part 6
Sam’s Club, Ace Hardware, Hobby Lobby, Rite Aid, Menards, Burlington and Five Below.
- Sam’s Club — Sam Walton’s 1983 warehouse-club origin, the Walmart ownership, Member’s Mark and Scan & Go, and the blue wordmark (with the diamond apostrophe).
- Ace Hardware — The 1924 Chicago buying-group origin, the retailer-owned cooperative model, ‘the helpful place’ service positioning, and the red ACE wordmark.
- Hobby Lobby — David Green’s 1972 origin, the family-run, values-led business (closed Sundays), the landmark 2014 Supreme Court case, and the red-orange wordmark.
- Rite Aid — The 1962 Scranton origin, the No. 3 US drugstore run, the blue wordmark and 2020 wellness green, the blocked Walgreens deal, and the 2023–2025 collapse.
- Menards — John Menard Jr.’s 1960 origin, the Midwest home-improvement model, the ‘Save Big Money at Menards’ jingle, the 11% rebate, and the green-and-yellow logo.
- Burlington — The 1972 Burlington Coat Factory origin, the 2013–14 rebrand to ‘Burlington’, the off-price model, the red heart-‘B’ wordmark, and NYSE:BURL ownership.
- Five Below — The 2002 Philadelphia origin, the teen/tween $5-and-below concept, the ‘Five Beyond’ price expansion, the blue wordmark with the degree-symbol ‘o’, and NASDAQ:FIVE.
Electronics retailers
Currys, MediaMarkt, Fnac, Darty, Bic Camera, Yodobashi Camera, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Elkjøp and Croma.
- Currys — Currys from Henry Curry’s Leicester bicycle business of 1884 to the Dixons takeover of 1984, the Currys PC World years and the 2021 decision to put every UK and Irish shop of Dixons Carphone, now Currys plc, under one purple, circular Currys identity by FutureBrand.
- MediaMarkt — MediaMarkt from the store that opened in Munich’s Euro-Industriepark on 24 November 1979 through Kaufhof, Saturn, Metro and Ceconomy, the claim “Ich bin doch nicht blöd” by Munich agency For Sale, and the 2022 “Let’s Go!” campaign, with JD.com’s takeover of Ceconomy awaiting EU review in October 2026.
- Fnac — A Paris members’ buying club started by André Essel and Max Théret in 1954, a test laboratory and the Contact magazine, books from 1974, owners from the Coop to PPR, the 2013 spin-off, the 2016 Darty deal and EP Group’s 2026 tender offer.
- Darty — A radio and television shop opened in Montreuil in 1957 by Natan, Marcel and Bernard Darty, a large Bondy store in 1968, the 1973 Contrat de Confiance, the yellow after-sales van, owners Kingfisher and Kesa, and Fnac Darty since 2016.
- Bic Camera — Founded by Ryuji Arai in Takasaki in 1968, in Ikebukuro since 1978, Sofmap and Kojima added, BICQLO with Uniqlo from 2012 to 2022, and a hymn-based jingle that became the Yamanote Line departure melody at Ikebukuro in 2024.
- Yodobashi Camera — Founded by Terukazu Fujisawa in 1960, named after the old Yodobashi district of Shinjuku, family-run and unlisted, with Multimedia stores on former railway sites and, from June 2026, Yodobashi-Ikebukuro in the former Seibu Ikebukuro building.
- JB Hi-Fi — Founded by John Barbuto in Keilor East, Melbourne, in 1974, sold in 1983, listed in 2003, joined by The Good Guys in 2016 and E&S in 2024, and known for bare-bones yellow stores with hand-lettered signs and staff reviews.
- Harvey Norman — Gerry Harvey and Ian Norman’s Norman Ross chain from 1961, the Harvey Norman store in Auburn, Sydney, in 1982, a franchise model in Australia, company-owned stores from Auckland to Zagreb and an England debut at Merry Hill in 2024.
- Elkjøp — A 1962 buying chain of 33 Norwegian electrical dealers organised by Trygve Fjetland, the Elgiganten, Gigantti and Elko names across the Nordics, Dixons ownership from 1999, a new logo in 2013 and a Nordic chief who now runs Currys.
- Croma — Tata’s Infiniti Retail and its Woolworths sourcing deal in 2006, the first store at Juhu in Mumbai, Lowe’s plug-shaped hoardings, a Croma own label from 2008–09, the move to Tata Digital in 2021 and the 2026 ‘Ghar Banta Hai Croma Se’ campaign.
DIY and home-improvement retailers
Lowe’s, B&Q, Leroy Merlin, OBI, Hornbach, Castorama, Screwfix, Wickes, toom and Brico Dépôt.
- Lowe’s — The North Wilkesboro hardware store opened by Lucius Smith Lowe in 1921, Carl Buchan’s post-war turn to building materials, the 1961 listing, the blue gable logo and the slogans from Let’s Build Something Together to Never Stop Improving.
- B&Q — The Block & Quayle store opened in Southampton in March 1969 by Richard Block and David Quayle, the move into Kingfisher, the switch to orange with the warehouse format, and the You Can Do It line carried into Build a Life and Today We Do!
- Leroy Merlin — An army-surplus store called Au Stock Américain in Nœux-les-Mines, Adolphe Leroy and Rose Merlin, the 1960 name, self-service in the 1960s, the Mulliez family from 1979 and the Adeo group name from 2007.
- OBI — A DIY store opened in Hamburg-Poppenbüttel in 1970 by Emil Lux, Manfred Maus and Klaus Birker, a name from the French pronunciation of “hobby”, Tengelmann ownership from 1985, a beaver mascot and a 2026 brand realignment.
- Hornbach — A slater’s workshop founded in Landau in der Pfalz in 1877, Otmar Hornbach’s combined DIY and garden store in Bornheim in 1968, a family holding in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, and the Heimat campaigns behind “Es gibt immer was zu tun”.
- Castorama — Christian Dubois’s Central Castor store at Englos near Lille in June 1969, a name taken from France’s self-build Castors, the 1977 “Chez Casto” slogan, Kingfisher ownership from 2002 and the return of the beaver in 2024.
- Screwfix — The Woodscrew Supply Company in Yeovil in 1979, the Screwfix Direct catalogue from 1992, Kingfisher’s 1999 purchase through Castorama, trade-counter stores, a 2022 move into France and the 2025 No Stopping You platform.
- Wickes — A Michigan timber name brought to Whitefield, Manchester, in 1972 with Sankey’s, owners from Focus to Travis Perkins, the 2021 demerger, the Wickes arrow on own-label packs and the 2024 Feel Proud as a Peacock platform.
- toom — A name launched on a Friedrichsdorf hypermarket in 1970, a DIY chain from 1978 grown inside the REWE Group, the “Respekt, wer’s selber macht” claim from Scholz & Friends, and a 2025 corporate design built on a five-sided base shape.
- Brico Dépôt — A low-cost warehouse format started by Castorama in Reims in 1993, part of Kingfisher since 2002, stores called “dépôts” in France, Spain and Portugal, a Romanian arm sold to Altex in 2025, and a 2023 “voir plus grand” campaign.
Pharmacy and drugstore chains
Watsons, Superdrug, Shoppers Drug Mart, dm-drogerie markt, Rossmann, Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Kruidvat, Etos, Guardian and Mannings.
- Watsons — A dispensary that reached Hong Kong in the 1840s, the pharmacist Alexander Skirving Watson whose name it took in 1871, Hutchison ownership from 1963, the Asian store roll-out from 1987 and the 2023 AS Watson identity refresh.
- Superdrug — Founded in London in 1964 by Ronald and Peter Goldstein, a Putney shop in 1966, Woolworth Holdings from 1987, the 1995 Nucleus Design identity with a starfish symbol, and Kruidvat then AS Watson ownership from 2001 and 2002.
- Shoppers Drug Mart — Koffler’s Drug Stores in Toronto from 1921, the Shoppers Drug Mart banner Murray Koffler introduced in 1962, Pharmaprix in Quebec, Imasco from 1978, the 2001 listing, Loblaw ownership since 2014 and PC Optimum since 2018.
- dm-drogerie markt — The first store Götz Werner opened in Karlsruhe in 1973, the move into Austria in 1976, own labels from 1986 including Balea, the 1992 Goethe-based slogan, the 2010 foundation and the 2019 Karlsruhe headquarters.
- Rossmann — Dirk Roßmann’s “Markt für Drogeriewaren” in Hanover-List on 17 March 1972, a red wordmark with a centaur in the O, own brands such as Isana and Babydream, A.S. Watson as minority shareholder, Raoul Roßmann in charge since 2021 and Switzerland from 2024.
- Matsumoto Kiyoshi — A shop opened in 1932 in Kogane, now Matsudo, renamed after founder Kiyoshi Matsumoto in katakana in 1951, the matsukiyo own brand in 2015, the 2021 sound-mark ruling, MatsukiyoCocokara from 2021 and the square “マ” logo in yellow and black in 2022.
- Kruidvat — The Dutch discount drugstore opened in 1975 by Ed During and Dick Siebrand, the De Rijcke family holding with Superdrug, ICI Paris XL and Trekpleister, the 2002 sale to Hutchison Whampoa’s A.S. Watson, and moves into Lille and Wallonia.
- Etos — A cooperative set up for Philips staff in Eindhoven in 1919, renamed Etos in 1931 after four Dutch words, sold to Ahold in 1973 and rebuilt as a drugstore chain, with a new logo, own brand and loyalty programme from 2015.
- Guardian — Guardian, the health and beauty chain DFI Retail Group runs in Malaysia, Singapore and Southeast Asia: a story that begins in Malaysia in 1967, Dairy Farm’s regional deals, the 2024 Own Your Beautiful relaunch with FCB SHOUT and the 2026 mannings guardian own-brand range.
- Mannings — Mannings, the Hong Kong health and beauty chain known in Chinese as 萬寧: three pharmacies in 1972, Dairy Farm’s 1976 stake, mainland stores from 2004 to January 2026, the DFI Retail Group name and the 2026 mannings guardian own-brand range.
Sports retailers
Decathlon, JD Sports, Intersport, Sports Direct, Foot Locker, SportChek, rebel, Go Sport, Hibbett and Snipes.
- Decathlon — Opened by Michel Leclercq at Englos, near Lille, in July 1976, renamed Oxylane at group level from 2008 to 2014, home of in-house brands such as Quechua and Kipsta, and given the Orbit symbol and a Grilli Type typeface by Wolff Olins in March 2024.
- JD Sports — Started in Bury in 1981 by John Wardle and David Makin, whose given names gave it the JD initials, majority-owned by Pentland Group since 2005, owner of Hibbett since July 2024, and given the Forever Forward identity with a lock-up angled at 10 degrees by Uncommon in June 2025.
- Intersport — Founded in Bern in 1968 by ten national purchasing associations, the Olympic shop at Munich 1972, own labels such as McKinley from 1984, a German flagship logo in 2023 and the Go Sport takeover in France.
- Sports Direct — Mike Ashley Sports in Maidenhead in 1982, renamed Sports Soccer, Sports World and in 2008 Sports Direct, a parent renamed Frasers Group in 2019 and a 2021 identity by venturethree built on an equals sign.
- Foot Locker — A Kinney Shoe format opened under Woolworth on 12 September 1974 in a California mall, the name the whole Woolworth group took in 2001, the striped referee shirt known as the Striper, and ownership by DICK’S Sporting Goods since September 2025.
- SportChek — The Sport Chek chain that John Forzani’s Calgary company took over in 1991, the Forzani Group that grew around it, ownership by Canadian Tire since 2011, and the Destination Sport store format introduced in 2025.
- rebel — Rebel, the Australian sports retailer formerly called Rebel Sport: founded in 1985 with a store in Bankstown, owned by Super Retail Group since 2011, renamed with a flipped “e” and black and yellow livery by Hulsbosch in 2012, merged with Amart Sports in 2017 and relaunched its loyalty programme as rebel Active in 2023.
- Go Sport — Go Sport, the French sports retailer whose name stands for Grenoble Olympique: founded in 1979 by Léon and Lucien Odier, part of Rallye from 1990, sold in 2021, placed in receivership in January 2023 and taken over by the Intersport cooperative in April 2023, with the bulk of its stores switching to the Intersport sign from 2024.
- Hibbett — Founded in Florence, Alabama, in 1945 by coach and teacher Rufus Hibbett as Dixie Supply Company, renamed Hibbett & Sons in 1952, listed in 1996, renamed Hibbett, Inc. in 2021 and owned by JD Sports since July 2024.
- Snipes — Sven Voth’s sneaker and streetwear shop opened in Essen in 1998, in the Deichmann group since 2011, in the United States since 2019 via Kicks USA and Mr. Alan’s, and led in Europe since 2026 by Samuel Deichmann, with Cologne as its base.
Beauty retailers
Space NK, Cult Beauty, Mecca, Lookfantastic, Douglas, Feelunique, Nocibé, Marionnaud, Sa Sa and KICKS.
- Space NK — Founded by Nicky Kinnaird in 1991 as Space NK Apothecary, a Covent Garden shop from 1993, owned by Manzanita Capital from 2002, bought by Ulta Beauty in July 2025 and run by a new chief executive from September 2026.
- Cult Beauty — An online beauty shop launched from a London spare bedroom in June 2008 by Alexia Inge and Jessica DeLuca, bought by THG in 2021 and relaunched in October 2024 with a new logo and the line for the love of beauty.
- Mecca — Opened by Jo Horgan in South Yarra, Melbourne, in 1997 with seven imported brands, online from 2001, in New Zealand from 2007, with own lines MECCA COSMETICA and MECCA MAX and a Bourke Street flagship opened in August 2025.
- Lookfantastic — Built by the Crown family alongside a hairdressing business with salons in South East England, bought by The Hut Group in November 2010, and now a THG plc web store beside Cult Beauty and Dermstore.
- Douglas — A Hamburg soap factory opened in 1821 by John Sharp Douglas of Govan, the Parfümerie Douglas on Neuer Wall in 1910, growth under Hussel and the Kreke family, a 2018 capitals logo that kept the mint colour, and a return to the Frankfurt exchange in 2024.
- Feelunique — An online beauty retailer founded in Jersey in 2005 by Aaron Chatterley and Richard Schiessl, Palamon investment from 2012, a sale to LVMH’s Sephora completed in September 2021, and the switch of its UK website to sephora.co.uk on 17 October 2022.
- Nocibé — A perfumery chain founded in Lille in 1984 by Daniel Vercamer and named after the island of Nosy Be, a 2010 store identity by Saguez & Partners, owned by the German group Douglas since 2014, and a new concept moving from red to beige and terracotta.
- Marionnaud — Bernard Marionnaud’s first perfumery in Clamart in 1958, the chain Marcel Frydman built under that name from 1996, ownership by A.S. Watson since 2005, and the Greener Beauty store concept, Lancel staff bag and gift workshop of 2023–24.
- Sa Sa — A 40 sq ft cosmetics shop in a Causeway Bay basement taken over by Simon and Eleanor Kwok in 1978, a name they kept, a move to the street in 1989, a 1997 listing and the pink and white storefronts of Hong Kong.
- KICKS — A Swedish cosmetics chain started by Kooperativa Förbundet in 1991, owned by Axel Johnson from 2002, joined with Skincity in KICKS Group, sold to Denmark’s Matas in 2023 and given a new identity, Beauty Unlimited, with Super Tuesday in 2025.
Optical retailers
Specsavers, Vision Express, Fielmann, Apollo-Optik, Pearle Vision, Alain Afflelou, Optical 88, Owndays, JINS and LensCrafters.
- Specsavers — Founded in Guernsey in 1984 by Doug and Mary Perkins, run through joint venture partnerships, placed in a family trust in 2023, and known for the “Should’ve gone to Specsavers” line written in-house in 2002.
- Vision Express — Opened at the MetroCentre in Gateshead in 1988 by LensCrafters founder Dean Butler, owned by GrandVision from 1997 and by EssilorLuxottica since 2021, rebranded in purple in 2018 and fronted by Marvin the Mole.
- Fielmann — Günther Fielmann’s Cuxhaven store of September 1972, the 1981 contract with the AOK fund in Esens, the television campaign with a child’s line about her father, the Plön training castle, and Marc Fielmann’s leadership since 2019.
- Apollo-Optik — A name registered by Foto-Quelle in 1969, an independent optical chain from 1972, the Pearle Europe sale of 1998, a franchise system, an online shop in 2016 and ownership by GrandVision and EssilorLuxottica since 2021.
- Pearle Vision — Founded as Pearle Optical in Savannah, Georgia, in 1961 by optometrist Stanley Pearle, franchised from 1981, owned by Luxottica from 2004 and EssilorLuxottica since 2018, with a 2013 logo that added an eyeglass icon and “Est. 1961”.
- Alain Afflelou — A shop opened in Le Bouscat near Bordeaux in 1972 under the name Optica, franchising from 1978–79, ownership by Bridgepoint and then Lion Capital, a founder who starred in his own adverts, and the 2026 slogan “C’est le bon choix !”.
- Optical 88 — An optometrists’ shop in Wo Che, Sha Tin, taken over by the Stelux watch group in 1988, a sister label called eGG in 2011, the 2018 sale to an entity controlled by Stelux chairman Joseph Wong, and the “Stand by Hong Kong since 1988” line.
- Owndays — A Tokyo glasses chain set up in 2002 on a company dating to 1989, taken over by Shuji Tanaka in 2008, opened abroad in Singapore in 2013, majority-owned by India’s Lenskart since 2022, and rebranded in 2024 around an ON/OFF switch in black and white.
- JINS — Hitoshi Tanaka’s accessories company founded in Maebashi in 1988, the eyewear business opened in Fukuoka in April 2001, the JINS Holdings name from 2019, and stores designed with Schemata Architects and Sou Fujimoto.
- LensCrafters — Founded in 1983 by former Procter & Gamble marketer Dean Butler, owned by U.S. Shoe from 1984 and by Luxottica from 1995, now part of EssilorLuxottica, with flagship stores from 2020 and a 2025 campaign.
Shopping malls and outlet villages
Westfield, Mall of America, Dubai Mall, Siam Paragon, ION Orchard, Bluewater, Bicester Village, McArthurGlen, K11 and Harbour City.
- Westfield — Westfield Place in Blacktown opened in 1959 by Frank Lowy and John Saunders, the 2014 split into Scentre Group and Westfield Corporation, the 2018 Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield deal, European rebrands from 2019 and a 2025 licence in Saudi Arabia.
- Mall of America — A Bloomington ballpark site, Triple Five’s 1986 selection, Jon Jerde’s four themed zones, the August 1992 opening, Triple Five control from 2006, Nickelodeon Universe in 2008 and a 2013 Duffy & Partners star identity with the line “Always New.”
- Dubai Mall — Emaar’s Downtown Dubai shopping centre beside the Burj Khalifa, opened on 4 November 2008 after two delays, planned by DP Architects as eight precincts, brought back inside Emaar Properties in 2021 and renamed from The Dubai Mall in 2023.
- Siam Paragon — The Bangkok mall on the former Siam InterContinental Hotel site, opened on 9 December 2005 as a joint venture of Siam Piwat and The Mall Group, refurbished from 2021 and given NEXTOPIA, MELAND and EATELIER for its twentieth year in 2025.
- ION Orchard — The Orchard Turn mall named in July 2007 by CapitaLand and Sun Hung Kai Properties, opened on 21 July 2009 with a Benoy and RSP design drawn from the site’s past as an orchard, and half-owned by CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust since October 2024.
- Bluewater — The shopping centre built in a former chalk quarry near Dartford, Kent, opened on 16 March 1999 to a concept by Eric Kuhne for Lend Lease, given a 23red logo with a Kent horse in 2013, and now majority-owned by Landsec.
- Bicester Village — Opened by Scott Malkin’s Value Retail on a field in Oxfordshire in April 1995, a gabled village street with its own railway station, the Porridge bear, a 30th-anniversary campaign and The Bicester Collection of villages in Europe, China and the United States.
- McArthurGlen — A name from Cheryl McArthur and Alan Glen’s American outlet business, a UK company formed with Kaempfer Partners in 1993, Cheshire Oaks and Troyes in 1995, a 2013 joint venture with Simon Property Group and a Vancouver outlet styled on local architecture.
- K11 — Adrian Cheng’s art mall in Tsim Sha Tsui, opened by New World Development in 2009, the K11 Art Foundation from 2010, K11 MUSEA at Victoria Dockside in 2019, and the 2024 transfer of K11 brand management to a Cheng vehicle.
- Harbour City — Built on the 1886 Hongkong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown site, Ocean Terminal opened in 1966, the Canton Road buildings grouped under one name in 1982, a Foster + Partners terminal extension in 2017 and ownership by Wharf REIC since 2017.
Dot-com era online retailers
Pets.com, Webvan, Boo.com, Kozmo, eToys, CDNow, Half.com, Buy.com, drkoop.com and theglobe.com.
- Pets.com — How Pets.com, a San Francisco online pet-supply shop launched in November 1998, made a button-eyed sock puppet with a microphone its face, flew it in the Macy’s parade, closed in November 2000 and sold its web address to PetSmart.
- Webvan — How Webvan, the Foster City online grocer Louis Borders founded in 1996, delivered in a 30-minute window from 1999, absorbed HomeGrocer in 2000, shut down in July 2001 and saw its web address, people and warehouse ideas move to Amazon.
- Boo.com — How Ernst Malmsten and Kajsa Leander built Boo.com, a London online fashion shop founded in 1998 and launched in 1999, with the Miss Boo guide, the Boom magazine and turning 3D garments, before liquidators were called in during May 2000.
- Kozmo — How Joseph Park and Yong Kang built Kozmo, the New York service that delivered videos, snacks, music and magazines by bicycle within the hour from 1998, ran neighbourhood warehouses in cities across the US and shut down in April 2001.
- eToys — How eToys grew from a former Disney planner’s 1997 idea for a toy store online in Santa Monica into a dot-com name that went bankrupt in 2001, returned under KB Toys with its ukulele jingle and passed to Toys “R” Us in 2009.
- CDNow — How CDNow grew from a 1994 music store run by twin brothers Jason and Matthew Olim from a Pennsylvania basement into an online CD retailer that merged with N2K, joined Bertelsmann in 2000 and was run on Amazon’s platform from 2002.
- Half.com — How Half.com, a fixed-price marketplace for used books, music, films and games founded in 1999 by Josh Kopelman and Sunny Balijepalli near Philadelphia, persuaded Halfway, Oregon to take its name for a year, joined eBay in 2000 and closed in 2017.
- Buy.com — How Buy.com grew from BUYCOMP.com, a computer shop Scott Blum launched in Aliso Viejo, California in November 1997, into an “Internet Superstore” with loud comparison advertising, was bought by Rakuten in 2010, renamed Rakuten.com Shopping in 2013 and closed in 2020.
- drkoop.com — How drkoop.com grew from a 1997 Austin company called Personal Health Records into a health information website named after former US Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, became DrKoop LifeCare in Santa Monica in 2001, and passed to Vitacost.com in 2002.
- theglobe.com — How theglobe.com grew from a 1994 idea in a Cornell dorm room into an online community launched on 1 April 1995 by Stephan Paternot and Todd Krizelman, listed on Nasdaq in November 1998, closed its community site in 2001 and moved into games magazines and the .travel domain.
Pharmacy chains in the UK, Canada and Australia
LloydsPharmacy, Well Pharmacy, Rowlands Pharmacy, Chemist Warehouse, Priceline Pharmacy, TerryWhite Chemmart, London Drugs, Jean Coutu, Uniprix and Familiprix.
- LloydsPharmacy — How LloydsPharmacy grew from Allen Lloyd’s 1973 pharmacy in Polesworth into a British chain under Celesio and McKesson, took over the pharmacies inside Sainsbury’s in 2016 and left the high street in November 2023, keeping its name in online, clinical and homecare services.
- Well Pharmacy — How Well Pharmacy grew out of National Co-operative Chemists, founded in 1945 with a first branch in Bargoed, passed from the Co-operative Group to Bestway in 2014 and took the name Well in 2015 with a handwritten “Here for your wellbeing” strapline.
- Rowlands Pharmacy — How Rowlands Pharmacy, the trading name of L Rowland & Company (Retail) Ltd, grew by buying local chemists in north Wales and northwest England, joined Germany’s PHOENIX group in 1998, and from 2024 put the Numark name more prominently on its shopfronts.
- Chemist Warehouse — How Chemist Warehouse grew from the Gance brothers’ 1972 pharmacy in Reservoir, Melbourne, and the My Chemist banner into a discount pharmacy chain founded in 2000 by Jack Gance and Mario Verrocchi, merged with Sigma Healthcare in 2025 and spread to New Zealand, Ireland, China, Dubai and the UK.
- Priceline Pharmacy — How Priceline grew from a 1982 beauty store at Highpoint in Victoria into Priceline Pharmacy, moved under API in 2004 and Wesfarmers in 2022, took on magenta in 2008 and a heart-and-cross logo by Houston Group in 2024.
- TerryWhite Chemmart — How Terry and Rhonda White’s Woody Point pharmacy became the Terry White Chemists franchise in 1994, merged with EBOS-owned Chemmart in 2016 to form TerryWhite Chemmart, and took on the Dedicated to Care platform with VMLY&R in 2023.
- London Drugs — How London Drugs grew from Sam Bass’s 1945 Vancouver drugstore, named after London, England, into a Western Canadian chain owned by the H.Y. Louie Group since 1976, adding cameras, photo labs and computers, and opening a Rümker-designed concept store in Burnaby in 2025.
- Jean Coutu — How pharmacist Jean Coutu and his partner Louis Michaud opened Pharm-Escomptes Jean Coutu in Montreal in 1969, franchised it across Quebec, New Brunswick and Ontario, ran an American chain until 2007 and joined Metro in 2018, trading today as PJC Jean Coutu.
- Uniprix — How Uniprix grew from a 1977 alliance of independent Quebec pharmacists into a Montreal pharmacy banner, joined McKesson Canada in 2017 and spoke through lines such as “pharmacien de famille” and “Proches de votre santé”.
- Familiprix — How Familiprix began in 1977 as Médico-Prix, a Rivière-du-Loup wholesaler’s banner, became a pharmacy network owned by its member pharmacists in Quebec City, and moved from the 2002 “Ah! Ha!” shout to a kinder voice with Kabane.
Motorway services and fuel chains
Moto, Welcome Break, Roadchef, Stuckey’s, Extra MSA, Kwik Fill, Weigel’s, EG Group, Rutter’s and Sapp Bros..
- Moto — Moto is the name Compass gave in May 2001 to the former Granada motorway service areas, run from Toddington on the M1 by a company registered in 1962, owned since 2015 by the USS pension scheme, which says it works in partnership with CVC, and home to partner brands and its own Moto CHARGE network.
- Welcome Break — Welcome Break opened its first outlet at Newport Pagnell on the M1 in 1960, took its name across the Trusthouse Forte estate in 1986, passed to Investcorp, Appia and in 2018 to Ireland’s Applegreen, and in 2006 dropped its swan for a green and white wordmark on black.
- Roadchef — The UK motorway service operator that opened at Killington Lake on the M6, went through a 1983 management buyout and owners including Nikko, Delek, Antin and Macquarie, and runs around 30 sites with McDonald’s, Costa Coffee and its own food brands.
- Stuckey’s — The roadside chain that grew from a 1937 pecan stand in Eastman, Georgia, into hundreds of teal-roofed highway stores, passed to Pet Milk, returned to the family in the 1980s and again in 2019, and filed for Chapter 11 restructuring in October 2026.
- Extra MSA — Extra MSA runs motorway service areas in England. Its parent Swayfields was founded in 1992; its first site opened at Cambridge in 2000, followed by Beaconsfield, Cobham and Leeds Skelton Lake, with food courts let to tenant brands.
- Kwik Fill — Kwik Fill is the fuel and convenience chain of United Refining Company, the Warren, Pennsylvania refiner dating to 1902 and owned since 1986 by John Catsimatidis, with stores in Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio alongside Red Apple Food Marts and Country Fair.
- Weigel’s — Weigel’s, the Powell, Tennessee convenience chain, grew out of the family’s Broadacre Dairy, which dates its start to 1931, opened drive-through Jug O’ Milk stores in 1958 and a walk-in store in 1964, and still bottles its own milk for its East Tennessee stores.
- EG Group — EG Group, founded as Euro Garages in 2001 by Mohsin and Zuber Issa with one forecourt in Bury, merged with TDR Capital’s European Forecourt Retail in 2016, built a network across Europe, the US and Australia, sold most UK sites from 2023 and now presents itself as Cumberland Farms from Charlotte.
- Rutter’s — The York, Pennsylvania chain whose family farm dates to 1747, whose Rutter Bros. Dairy began in 1921, and whose convenience stores opened in 1968 and now number 94 across four states, with Made For You food, its own dairy and the 1747 Bar & Lounge.
- Sapp Bros. — The Omaha travel-centre and petroleum company that opened as Sapp Bros. Truck Plaza on 7 June 1971, turned a water tower into a coffee-pot landmark, and now runs 18 travel centres from Utah to Pennsylvania, mostly along Interstate 80.
At a glance: founding, base and signature
Taken from each guide’s fact panel. Follow the link for detail and caveats.
| Brand | Founded | Based | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7-Eleven | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Ace Hardware | 1924 (Chicago) | See guide | Retailer co-op |
| Alain Afflelou | A shop opens in Le Bouscat, near Bordeaux (1972) | See guide | See guide |
| Aldi | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Apollo-Optik | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| AutoZone | 1979 (as “Auto Shack”) | See guide | DIY + free services |
| B&Q | Richard Block and David Quayle open in Southampton (1969) | See guide | See guide |
| Barnes & Noble | See guide | See guide | The serif wordmark |
| Bass Pro Shops | 1972 (Springfield, MO) | See guide | Outdoor World |
| Bed Bath & Beyond | 1971 (“Bed ’n Bath”) | See guide | The blue coupon |
| Best Buy | See guide | See guide | The price tag |
| Bic Camera | Ryuji Arai starts Takasaki DP Center, Gunma (1968) | See guide | See guide |
| Bicester Village | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Bluewater | See guide | See guide | 23red redraws the Bluewater horse |
| Boo.com | Ernst Malmsten and Kajsa Leander start the company (1998) | See guide | See guide |
| Brico Dépôt | Castorama opens a depot in Reims (1993) | See guide | See guide |
| Burlington | 1972 (Burlington, NJ) | See guide | Off-price |
| Buy.com | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Castorama | Central Castor opens at Englos, near Lille (1969) | See guide | See guide |
| CDNow | Jason and Matthew Olim start CDNow in Pennsylvania (1994) | See guide | See guide |
| Chemist Warehouse | Jack Gance and Mario Verrocchi start Chemist Warehouse (2000) | See guide | See guide |
| Chewy | 2011 (“Mr. Chewy”) | See guide | Service |
| Costco | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Croma | Tata’s Infiniti Retail opens the first Croma store at Juhu (2006) | See guide | See guide |
| Cult Beauty | Website goes live from a London spare bedroom (2008) | See guide | See guide |
| Currys | Henry Curry makes bicycles in Leicester (1884) | See guide | See guide |
| CVS | 1963 (Lowell, MA) | See guide | See guide |
| Darty | Three Darty brothers open a radio and TV shop (1957) | See guide | See guide |
| Decathlon | Michel Leclercq opens a store at Englos, near Lille (1976) | See guide | See guide |
| Dick’s Sporting Goods | 1948 (Binghamton, NY) | See guide | See guide |
| dm-drogerie markt | Götz Werner opens the first store in Karlsruhe (1973) | See guide | See guide |
| Dollar General | See guide | See guide | Small-town |
| Dollar Tree | 1986 (“Only $1.00”) | See guide | See guide |
| Douglas | See guide | See guide | Script replaced by capitals, mint kept |
| drkoop.com | Personal Health Records, Inc. is formed (1997) | See guide | See guide |
| Dubai Mall | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| EG Group | Bury, Greater Manchester (2001 (as Euro Garages)) | See guide | Forecourts with franchised food, Rivington services |
| Elkjøp | Trygve Fjetland sets up A/S Elektrokjøp for 33 dealers (1962) | See guide | A new logo arrives in Norway and Denmark |
| Etos | Philips cooperative set up in Eindhoven (1919) | See guide | New Etos logo goes up in Amsterdam |
| eToys | Toby Lenk starts eToys in Santa Monica (1997) | See guide | See guide |
| Extra MSA | See guide | See guide | Landlord to tenant brands |
| Familiprix | Médico-Prix launched by a Rivière-du-Loup wholesaler (1977) | See guide | See guide |
| Feelunique | Aaron Chatterley and Richard Schiessl start in Jersey (2005) | See guide | See guide |
| Fielmann | Günther Fielmann opens a store in Cuxhaven (1972) | See guide | See guide |
| Five Below | 2002 (Philadelphia) | See guide | $5 and below |
| Fnac | Essel and Théret open a buying club in Paris (1954) | See guide | See guide |
| Foot Locker | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| GameStop | 1984 (Babbage’s) | See guide | Used-games trade-in |
| Go Sport | Léon and Lucien Odier create the Go Sport banner (1979) | See guide | See guide |
| Guardian | Guardian Malaysia’s story begins (1967) | See guide | See guide |
| Half.com | Josh Kopelman and Sunny Balijepalli start the company (1999) | See guide | See guide |
| Harbour City | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Harvey Norman | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Hibbett | Rufus Hibbett opens Dixie Supply Company in Florence, Alabama (1945) | See guide | See guide |
| Hobby Lobby | 1972 (David Green) | See guide | Values-led |
| Hornbach | Michael Hornbach opens a slater’s workshop in Landau (1877) | See guide | See guide |
| Intersport | Ten national buying associations form the group in Bern (1968) | See guide | See guide |
| ION Orchard | See guide | See guide | Benoy concept with RSP as local architect |
| JB Hi-Fi | John Barbuto opens a hi-fi and music shop in Keilor East (1974) | See guide | See guide |
| JD Sports | John Wardle and David Makin open a shop in Bury (1981) | See guide | See guide |
| Jean Coutu | Jean Coutu and Louis Michaud open Pharm-Escomptes Jean Coutu (1969) | See guide | See guide |
| JINS | JIN Ltd. is set up in Maebashi, Gunma (1988) | See guide | See guide |
| K11 | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| KICKS | Cosmetics chain started in Sweden (1991) | See guide | See guide |
| Kohl’s | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Kozmo | Joseph Park and Yong Kang start the company in New York (1998) | See guide | Free delivery within the hour, by bike in Manhattan |
| Kroger | 1883 (Cincinnati) | See guide | One-stop shop |
| Kruidvat | Ed During and Dick Siebrand open the opening shop (1975) | See guide | See guide |
| Kwik Fill | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| LensCrafters | Dean Butler opens Precision LensCrafters (1983) | See guide | See guide |
| Leroy Merlin | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Lidl | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| LloydsPharmacy | Allen Lloyd buys his first pharmacy in Polesworth, Warwickshire (1973) | See guide | See guide |
| London Drugs | Sam Bass renames a Vancouver drugstore London Drugs (1945) | See guide | The Rümker-designed Brentwood store opens |
| Lookfantastic | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Lowe’s | Lucius Smith Lowe opens a hardware store in North Wilkesboro (1921) | See guide | See guide |
| Macy’s | 1858 (New York) | See guide | The red star |
| Mall of America | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Mannings | Three pharmacies named 萬寧 in Hong Kong (1972) | See guide | See guide |
| Marionnaud | Bernard Marionnaud opens a perfumery in Clamart (1958) | See guide | Greener Beauty store opens at La Défense |
| Matsumoto Kiyoshi | A pharmacy shop opens in Kogane, Chiba (1932) | See guide | A square “マ” logo in yellow and black |
| McArthurGlen | McArthurGlen UK Limited is formed with Kaempfer Partners (1993) | See guide | See guide |
| Mecca | Jo Horgan, South Yarra, Melbourne (1997) | See guide | See guide |
| MediaMarkt | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Menards | 1960 (Eau Claire, WI) | See guide | See guide |
| Michaels | 1973 (Dallas) | See guide | Crafts superstore |
| Moto | See guide | See guide | Motorway service areas, Moto CHARGE |
| Nocibé | Daniel Vercamer opens the first shop in Lille (1984) | See guide | From the historic red to beige and terracotta |
| Nordstrom | 1901 (Seattle) | See guide | See guide |
| OBI | Store opens in Hamburg-Poppenbüttel (1970) | See guide | See guide |
| Optical 88 | Optometrists open EyeCare Optics in Wo Che, Sha Tin (1984) | See guide | See guide |
| Owndays | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Pearle Vision | Pearle Optical opens in Savannah, Georgia (1961) | See guide | Eyeglass icon and “Est. 1961” line |
| Petco | 1965 (as “UPCO”) | See guide | Health & wellness |
| Pets.com | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| PetSmart | 1986 (Phoenix, AZ) | See guide | Adoption, not sales |
| Priceline Pharmacy | The opening store trades at Highpoint, Victoria (1982) | See guide | See guide |
| Publix | 1930 (Winter Haven, FL) | See guide | Employee-owned |
| rebel | Rebel Sport opens with a store in Bankstown (1985) | See guide | See guide |
| REI | 1938 (Seattle) | See guide | Member-owned co-op |
| Rite Aid | 1962 (Scranton, PA) | See guide | See guide |
| Roadchef | Killington Lake, M6, England (1973 (English Wikipedia); the company gives 1972) | See guide | Motorway service areas, Fresh Food Café, Restbite |
| Ross Dress for Less | See guide | See guide | Treasure hunt |
| Rossmann | Dirk Roßmann opens a “Markt für Drogeriewaren” in Hanover (1972) | See guide | See guide |
| Rowlands Pharmacy | The company says Rowlands was established (1810) | See guide | See guide |
| Rutter’s | York, Pennsylvania (1747 farm; 1921 dairy; 1968 stores) | See guide | Made For You food, Rutter’s Dairy, 1747 Bar & Lounge |
| Sa Sa | Simon and Eleanor Kwok take over a Causeway Bay shop (1978) | See guide | See guide |
| Safeway | See guide | See guide | The flying S |
| Sam’s Club | 1983 (Sam Walton) | See guide | Warehouse club |
| Sapp Bros. | Omaha, Nebraska (7 June 1971 (as Sapp Bros. Truck Plaza)) | See guide | Coffee-pot water tower, Coffee Kettle Cafe, Burrito Bros. |
| Screwfix | Woodscrew Supply Company starts in Yeovil (1979) | See guide | See guide |
| Shoppers Drug Mart | Leon Koffler founds Koffler’s Drug Stores in Toronto (1921) | See guide | See guide |
| Siam Paragon | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Snipes | Sven Voth opens the first Snipes shop in Essen (1998) | See guide | See guide |
| Space NK | Nicky Kinnaird starts Space NK Apothecary (1991) | See guide | See guide |
| Specsavers | Doug and Mary Perkins start the business in Guernsey (1984) | See guide | See guide |
| SportChek | Forzani’s Locker Room opens in Calgary (1974) | See guide | See guide |
| Sports Direct | Mike Ashley Sports opens in Maidenhead (1982) | See guide | See guide |
| Staples | 1986 (Brighton, MA) | See guide | The Easy Button |
| Stuckey’s | Eastman, Georgia (1937) | See guide | Pecan Log Roll, teal roofs, highway billboards |
| Superdrug | Ronald and Peter Goldstein start the business in London (1964) | See guide | See guide |
| TerryWhite Chemmart | Terry White opens a pharmacy at Woody Point, Queensland (1958) | See guide | See guide |
| The Home Depot | 1978 (Atlanta) | See guide | The orange box |
| theglobe.com | See guide | See guide | Paternot and Krizelman start work at Cornell |
| TJ Maxx | 1976 (Framingham, MA) | See guide | Off-price treasure hunt |
| toom | See guide | See guide | Reworked corporate design rolls out |
| Tractor Supply | 1938 (Tractor parts) | See guide | Rural lifestyle |
| Trader Joe’s | 1967 (Pasadena) | See guide | See guide |
| Ulta Beauty | 1990 (“Ulta3”) | See guide | The third option |
| Uniprix | Independent Quebec pharmacists form a common banner (1977) | See guide | See guide |
| Vision Express | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Walgreens | 1901 (Chicago) | See guide | The cursive W |
| Watsons | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Webvan | Louis Borders starts the online grocer (1996) | See guide | See guide |
| Wegmans | 1916 (Rochester, NY) | See guide | Family-owned |
| Weigel’s | Powell, Tennessee (1931 (Broadacre Dairy)) | See guide | Jug O’ Milk, own dairy and bakery |
| Welcome Break | See guide | See guide | Motorway service areas in Great Britain |
| Well Pharmacy | National Co-operative Chemists opens its first branch in Bargoed (1945) | See guide | See guide |
| Westfield | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Whole Foods | 1980 (Austin) | See guide | Natural & organic |
| Wickes | Henry Dunn Wickes and his brother in Michigan timber (1854) | See guide | See guide |
| Yodobashi Camera | Terukazu Fujisawa starts a photo business (1960) | See guide | See guide |
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Trader Joe’s?
Aldi Nord, according to our Aldi guide, which explains the Aldi Nord/Süd split.
Why is 7-Eleven called 7-Eleven?
It was named for its original 7am–11pm opening hours, according to our guide.
See also all collections.