At first they also pushed their own private-label brand PCs before realizing they couldn't match the resources of a Compaq or a Dell.

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So he opened Cordillera in Cusco, Peru, a 550 square foot store to sell camping equipment apparel and footwear to tourists including North Face, Columbia, and Alpinex, a Cordillera private-label brand made in China.

FORBES: A Machu Picchu Style Start-up

Penney also is launching in-store boutiques for its new private-label lingerie brand, Ambrielle.

FORBES: Merely Cosmetic

Like the broader credit-card industry, delinquencies on store-brand or private-label cards are slowing.

WSJ: Store-Brand Credit Cards Boom

Dillard's Inc. ( DDS - news - people ) caters to middle- and upper-middle-income women, selling name-brand and private-label merchandise with a focus on apparel and home furnishings.

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There has long been a place for private-label or house-brand makers of everything from washing machines to mayonnaise sometimes the brand companies themselves peddled excess output that way.

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"They're starting to lay out stores differently, with better merchandise like private label food and more brand-name apparel, " says Dreher, who also stressed that a more decentralized approach to inventory management figures will help Wal-Mart do a better job stocking stores based on local tastes in each market.

FORBES: Discounters

Retailers often mimic the trademark and packaging of a top-selling brand to stimulate sales of private label offerings.

FORBES: Connect

The quality of private-label goods has improved, making it harder for consumers to discern any difference between a store's brand and a more expensive rival, particularly for commodities such as paper towels or milk.

ECONOMIST: Consumer goods in the recession