Discount store Retail Ranking; June 2014), operates more than 10,121 discount stores or discount shops worldwide. Australia has four main discount shops including Aldi, Big W, Kmart, and Target, plus in the Sydney region only, Victoria's Basement. Woolworths entered Canada in the 1920s, but the stores were converted to the Foot Locker, Champs Sports and other stores by 1994. Kresge's entered Canada in 1929. Zellers was founded in 1931, and was acquired by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1978. Giant Tiger opened its first store in Ottawa in 1961, modeled on Woolworths. Winners was founded in 1982 in Toronto, and sells off-price
Barker's Discount Department Stores competition, including Nichols Discount City, Bradlees, King's Department Stores and Caldor. Barker's was founded in May, 1957 by Irving Barker, in Orange, Connecticut. As one of the first hard goods discounters and with creative price and entertainment promotions, Barker's grew quickly from its $20,000 initial investment. Following the opening of a second store in Wallingford, Connecticut in September, 1960, Barker's had gross sales of $7 million. The company was acquired by Franklin Stores Corporation in 1961. Paul Panagrosso was one of the founding employees who was instrumental in designing and setting up the initial store that would then grow into