Target, Corp.

Purveyor of all that is cheap, yet chic, Target Corporation is the nation's #2 discount chain (behind Wal-Mart). The fashion-minded discounter operates about 1,745 Target and SuperTarget stores in 49 states, as well as an online business called Target.com. Target and its larger grocery-carrying incarnation, SuperTarget, have carved out a niche by offering more upscale, fashion-forward merchandise than rivals Wal-Mart and Kmart. Target also issues its proprietary Target credit card, good only at Target. After a reversal in fortune that coincided with the onset of the deep recession in the US, Target is growing its grocery business, remodeling stores, and -- in a few years -- entering the Canadian market.