Fred's Inc.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Fred's, Inc. | |
 |
|
| Type | Discount store |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1947 |
| Headquarters | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Pharmacy, Garden Supplies, Snacks, Toys, Books, Food, Housewares |
| Website | http://www.fredsinc.com/ |
Fred's, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRED) is a regional chain of discount stores based primarily in the southeastern United States. It is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.
[edit] History
The first Fred's store opened in Coldwater, Mississippi in 1947.
In 1953, Fred's moved its corporate headquarters to Memphis, Tennessee.
Fred's competes primarily with national chains Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree, as well as with independently-owned stores. The majority of its stores are located in towns with populations of 15,000 or less and primarily located in the southeastern United States.
Fred's has attempted to differentiate itself from the other discount store chains by:
- Operating a full-line pharmacy in approximately 1/3 of its stores
- Operating a seasonal lawn and garden department
- Selling tobacco products
As of July 29, 2006, Fred's operated 673 stores (of which 24 are franchises; the company states on its website that it does not intend to add any more franchised stores) in 15 states. Of those, 282 contain a full-line pharmacy.
