Chain Store Guides

While it admittedly feels a little odd to write up a blog post that doesn’t include a single link, we’ve recently added a subscription database here at the library that is unique to the area, and valuable enough to highlight as a token for those of you around Minneapolis – St. Paul who would be able to visit the library in person.

The Chain Store Guides --- in-depth directories of retail and foodservice industries --- have long been staples of our print collection, and are valued for the accuracy and currency of the information about the profiled companies, as well as the level of detail they include. Now, the content of these print directories is available in electronic format, allowing greater search functionality and easy downloading.

Directories that can be accessed in the database include:

Single Unit Supermarket Operators
Discount Stores and Specialty Retailers
Supermarket, Grocery & Convenience Stores
Home Center Operators & Hardware Chains
Apparel Specialty Stores
Chain Restaurant Operators
Leading Chain Tenants
Drug Store and HBC Chains
Home Furnishings Retailers
Foodservice Distributors
High Volume Independent Restaurants
Department Stores

The Chain Store Guides will give you the nitty-gritty information generally found in directories (contact information, sales, employees, etc.), but they go farther to provide many additional specific nuggets, depending on industry: company units, projected store openings or remodelings, product lines, sales space in square feet, menu information, point-of-sale software used, average check, and more.

Personnel listings in the database will include the standard owners, presidents, C-level executives, etc., but also often include names of those responsible for buying decisions, and other titles not often found in other directories. And having this resource available electronically means you can view complete profiles in PDF, or download abbreviated records into Excel.

To learn more about Chain Store Guides (and to allow me to include a link after all), click here. And visit the library to access this resource electronically.