Big Lots!, Inc. is an American retail company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio with over 1,400 stores in 47 states. The Big Lots chain traces its history back to 1967 when Consolidated Stores Corporation was formed in Ohio by Sol Shenk. In 1982, Consolidated Stores Corp. opened its first closeout store, called Odd Lots, in Columbus, Ohio. In 1983, drug store chain Revco bought New Jersey closeout retailer Odd Lot Trading Co. As Consolidated’s Odd Lots stores expanded from Columbus, Revco took issue with the fact that another closeout retailer was operating a chain with national aspirations that had a similar name as the Revco-owned subsidiary. Consolidated Stores Corp. agreed to limit their use of the Odd Lots name to stores located within a certain radius of Columbus. Beyond the radius, Consolidated began opening stores under the Big Lots name. Eventually, all Odd Lots stores were rebranded as Big Lots. In 1985, Consolidated Stores Corp. began trading as a separate public company on the American Stock Exchange. In 1986, Consolidated Stores Corp. switched to the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol CNS.

Publix Super Markets, Inc., commonly known as Publix, is an employee-owned, American supermarket chain headquartered in Lakeland, Florida.[1] Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, Publix is a private corporation that is wholly owned by present and past employees and members of the Jenkins family.[5] Publix operates throughout the Southeastern United States, with locations in Florida (831), Georgia (190), Alabama (77), South Carolina (64), Tennessee (46), North Carolina (46), and Virginia (16).[1] Publix stands as one of the largest U.S. regional grocery chains. Locations are found as far north as Spotsylvania, Virginia, as far south as Key West, Florida, while the westernmost location is in Mobile, Alabama. Today, the state of Florida still has the largest number of stores, with 799, about two-thirds of the outlets.[1] As of January 2019, Publix employs about 193,000 people[6] at its 1,221 retail locations, cooking schools, corporate offices, 9 grocery distribution centers, and 11 manufacturing facilities. The manufacturing facilities produce its dairy, deli, bakery, and other food products.[1] Publix was ranked No. 12 on Fortune magazine’s list of 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2019, up from No. 47 in 2018,[7] was ranked No. 7 on Forbes’ 2017 list of America’s Largest Private Companies, and is the largest in Florida.[8] Fortune ranked Publix #1 on their 2018 list of World’s Most Admired Companies in the Food & Drug Stores sector.[9] The company’s 2017 sales totaled US$34.6 billion, with profits of $2.3 billion, ranking No. 88 on Fortune magazine’s Fortune 500 list of U.S. companies by revenue for 2017.[10] According to the National Retail Federation, based on 2017 revenue, Publix is the fifteenth-largest U.S. retailer.[6][better source needed] Publix stock is only available for purchase by eligible active employees and non-employee members of its Board of Directors.

Whole Foods Market Inc. is an American multinational supermarket chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, which exclusively sells products free from hydrogenated fats and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.[4] A USDA Certified Organic grocer in the United States, the chain is popularly known for its organic selections.[5] Whole Foods has 500 stores in North America and the United Kingdom as of March 4, 2019.[2] On August 23, 2017, it was reported that the Federal Trade Commission had approved a merger between Amazon and Whole Foods Market;[6] the deal was closed on August 28, 2017.