Clothing

Overstock.com Corporate Office

Patrick M. Byrne founded Overstock.com in 1997 to sell surplus and returned inventory of retail stores, liquidating the inventories of at least 18 failed dot-com companies at prices that were below wholesale.

The first year of operation, Overstock.com had $1.8 million in revenue.

The company showed a profit for the first time in 2008. In 2009 the company resumed making losses and finally became profitable in 2010.

In recent years Overstock.com has expanded to sell new merchandise. From 2004 to 2011 the company offered online auctions but the practice was ultimately retired.

Overstock.com began rebranding in 2011 as “O.co” in an effort to simplify and unify its international operations. However, customer confusion led to a temporary retraction of the rebranding.

Today Overstock.com is an internet retailer providing discounts on brand name, non-brand name, and closeout merchandise in the United States and internationally. The company also has a vehicle selling service.

In September 2018, the company announced that it was selling Bitcoin through its website using Bitsey Wallet.

In August 2019, CEO Patrick Byrne stepped down after making claims that he had been an FBI informant and that he was involved romantically with a Russian spy. Jonathan Johnson was named as interim CEO.

Many products are made specifically for overstock.com and the company also sells merchandise of other retailers through its website. Overstock. com has 1,800 employees and had $1.745 billion in revenue in 2017.

Overstock.com

History

The first year of operation, Overstock.com had $1.8 million in revenue.

The company showed a profit for the first time in 2008. In 2009 the company resumed making losses and finally became profitable in 2010.

In recent years Overstock.com has expanded to sell new merchandise. From 2004 to 2011 the company offered online auctions but the practice was ultimately retired.

Overstock.com began rebranding in 2011 as “O.co” in an effort to simplify and unify its international operations. However, customer confusion led to a temporary retraction of the rebranding.

In September 2018, the company announced that it was selling Bitcoin through its website using Bitsey Wallet.

HSN Corporate Office

Lowell “Bud” Paxson and Roy Speer founded the Home Shopping Club in 1982 as a local cable channel in Pinellas County, Florida.

Three years later it expanded nationally and was the first national shopping network, under the name Home Shopping Network.

In 1986 HSN began a second network that broadcast over the air on a number of television stations it had acquired under the name Silver King Broadcasting.

The stations were sold in 1999 to Barry Diller and again in 2001 to Univision Communications.

In 1999 the company launched hsn.com, which is one of the most trafficked e-commerce websites.

Today HSN is an interactive, multichannel retailer with two operating segments: HSN and Cornerstone. The company’s brands include Bllard Designs, Chasing Fireflies, Frontgate, Garnet Hill, Grandin Road, Improvements, and TravelSmith. HSN has 6,700 employees and had $3 billion in revenue in 2012.

HSN, Inc.

Lowell “Bud” Paxson and Roy Speer founded the Home Shopping Club in 1982 as a local cable channel in Pinellas County, Florida.

Three years later it expanded nationally and was the first national shopping network, under the name Home Shopping Network.

In 1986 HSN began a second network that broadcast over the air on a number of television stations it had acquired under the name Silver King Broadcasting.

History

The stations were sold in 1999 to Barry Diller and again in 2001 to Univision Communications.

In 1999 the company launched hsn.com, which is one of the most trafficked e-commerce websites.

Victoria’s Secret Corporate Office

Victoria’s Secret was founded by Roy Raymond in 1977 in San Francisco, California.

According to founder Roy Raymond, he had been embarrassed while buying lingerie for his wife in a department store and wanted to create a store where men would feel comfortable shopping for their wives.

Raymond studied the lingerie market for 8 years before borrowing $40,000 from his parents and $40,000 from the bank and opening his first store in Palo Alto, California.

In its first year of business, Victoria’s Secret grossed $500,000.

In 1982 the company had grown to have six stores, a 42-page catalog, and was grossing $6 million annually. Leslie Wexner, the creator of Limited Stores Inc, bought Victoria’s Secret for $4 million.

In 1983 Wexner discarded the model of selling to male customers and changed the focus to selling to women.

By 1986 Wexner had transformed the brand and Victoria’s Secret had 346 stores.

In 2000, the company had 1,000 stores and accounted for one-third of all purchases in the intimate apparel industry.

Victoria’s Secret is a subsidiary of L Brands and accounts for more than 40% of sales for its parent company. The company sells lingerie, hosiery, swimwear, shoes, beauty products, perfume, sleepwear, and sweats. Victoria’s Secret had sales of $6.12 billion in 2012.

As of 2015, the company had 1,017 company-owned stores and 18 independently owned locations. Victoria’s Secret had annual revenue in 2015 of $12.5 billion, worldwide.

In May 2016, the company announced that it would discontinue their swimwear, clothing, shoes, and other accessories in order to focus on fragrances, sleepwear, and lingerie. Summer of 2016 will be the last time these items will be sold.

The company’s longtime CEO, Sharon Jester Turney, suddenly quit in early February of 2016, in order to “prioritize her family life”. Les Wexner has again returned as CEO until a replacement can be found.

Victoria's Secret

Victoria’s Secret was founded by Roy Raymond in 1977 in San Francisco, California.

History

Raymond studied the lingerie market for 8 years before borrowing $40,000 from his parents and $40,000 from the bank and opening his first store in Palo Alto, California.

In its first year of business, Victoria’s Secret grossed $500,000.

In 1982 the company had grown to have six stores, a 42-page catalog, and was grossing $6 million annually. Leslie Wexner, the creator of Limited Stores Inc, bought Victoria’s Secret for $4 million.

In 1983 Wexner discarded the model of selling to male customers and changed the focus to selling to women.

By 1986 Wexner had transformed the brand and Victoria’s Secret had 346 stores.

In 2000, the company had 1,000 stores and accounted for one-third of all purchases in the intimate apparel industry.

As of 2015, the company had 1,017 company-owned stores and 18 independently owned locations. Victoria’s Secret had annual revenue in 2015 of $12.5 billion, worldwide.

L.L. Bean Corporate Office

Leon Leonwood Bean, a hunter, and fisherman developed a waterproof boot which was a combination of leather uppers and rubber bottoms and named it the Maine Hunting Boot in 1912. He sold them at first through a mail order circular and then through a four-page mail-order catalog.

This boot, now named the L.L. Bean Boot, is still a staple of the company’s product line.

L.L. Bean opened its flagship store in Freeport, Maine in 1917. This store is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and has only closed four days since 1951: two Sundays when the blue laws were changed in Maine in 1961, to honor the death of President Kennedy, and to honor the death of the company’s founder in 1967.

L.L. Bean continues to be a family company and the current leadership includes Shawn Gorman, great-grandson of the founder.

The company is a global one, selling its products online or via catalog all over the world. In addition to the duck boot, the company sells men’s and women’s clothing, backpacks, outdoor gear, and other types of shoes.

The company has educational programs connected to many of its retail outlets to support the outdoor interests of its customers. Customers can sign up to participate in a number of outdoor activities and learn the basics: all equipment and instruction are provided. Activities include clay shooting, fly casting, archery, and sea kayaking, to name a few.

L.L. Bean has 115 stores in the United States and Japan, has 5,500 employees, and had $1.61 billion in revenue in 2014.

In November 2020, L.L. Bean began selling their clothign and shoes at upscale department stores, such as Nordstroms.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, retailers such as L.L. Bean are having a difficult time receiving merchandise from manufacturers in Vietnam in 2021.

The L.L.Bean “Bootmobile”, which travels the country throughout the year, also serves as a mobile store during its college tour, selling Bean Boots, custom laces, and more.

L.L. Bean maintains a corporate office in Freeport, Maine.

L.L. Bean

This boot, now named the L.L. Bean Boot, is still a staple of the company’s product line.

History

L.L. Bean continues to be a family company and the current leadership includes Shawn Gorman, great-grandson of the founder.

L.L. Bean has 115 stores in the United States and Japan, has 5,500 employees, and had $1.61 billion in revenue in 2014.

In November 2020, L.L. Bean began selling their clothign and shoes at upscale department stores, such as Nordstroms.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, retailers such as L.L. Bean are having a difficult time receiving merchandise from manufacturers in Vietnam in 2021.

The L.L.Bean “Bootmobile”, which travels the country throughout the year, also serves as a mobile store during its college tour, selling Bean Boots, custom laces, and more.

L.L. Bean maintains a corporate office in Freeport, Maine.

Aramark Corporate Office

Aramark Corporation was founded in 1936 as Davidson Brothers by Davre and Henry Davidson. The company provided vending services to aviation industry employees in Southern California.

In 1959 Davre Davidson established ARA (Automatic Retailers of America) with William Fisherman. The company went public the following year.

Aramark provides professional services, food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel.

ARA provided services at the Mexico City Olympics, the first of 16 Olympic Games they serviced, including Athens in 2004 and later Beijing in 2008.

In 1983 Joseph Naubauer became CEO of the company, now named ARA Services, and a year later coordinated a management buyout.

In 1994 ARA Services changed its name to Aramark.

In 2015, the company also worked on a comprehensive new animal welfare policy that includes purchasing only cage-free eggs by 2020 and eliminating all pork from animals bred using gestation crates by 2017.

In August of 2017, the company partnered with The Humane Society as part of their commitment to increase the amount of plant-based foods. The company has plans to introduce a series of plant-based culinary training a six month period.

In 2013, an investigation by a journalist found that the food provided to inmates at Burlington County Jail in New Jersey was sub-standard and spoiled, so much so that it often made prisoners sick with diarrhea and vomiting. Maggots were found in the food preparation areas at least two jails in Michigan and these may have been the source of the outbreak of food-borne illness. Maggots were also found in Aramark food products at two Ohio prisons, the Ohio Reformatory for Women and Trumbull Correctional Institute. Aramark, however, was cleared by the Michigan Department of Corrections of any responsibility for inmate illness or pest infestation in the state of Michigan. Both the states of Ohio and Michigan fined the company $270,000 and $200,000 respectively.

Today Aramark Corporation is a food-service, facilities, and uniform provider, supplying businesses, educational institutions, sports facilities, federal and state prisons, and healthcare institutions. Aramark is #18 on the Forbes list of America’s Largest Private Companies. Aramark has 270,000 employees and had $14.41 billion in revenue in 2016.

Aramark Corporation

History

Aramark Corporation was founded in 1936 as Davidson Brothers by Davre and Henry Davidson. The company provided vending services to aviation industry employees in Southern California.

In 1959 Davre Davidson established ARA (Automatic Retailers of America) with William Fisherman. The company went public the following year.

Aramark provides professional services, food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel.

ARA provided services at the Mexico City Olympics, the first of 16 Olympic Games they serviced, including Athens in 2004 and later Beijing in 2008.

In 1983 Joseph Naubauer became CEO of the company, now named ARA Services, and a year later coordinated a management buyout.

In 1994 ARA Services changed its name to Aramark.