While these are all iconic institutions in America, they are not all American owned any longer (as you can see in our Top 10 American Icons that are not American). This is a list of the ten top mega-franchises - the biggest of the big!
　　10
　　Costco
　　Costco is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the world based on sales volume, headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, United States and founded in Kirkland, Washington, with its flagship warehouse in nearby Seattle. Costco’s Canadian operations are based in Ottawa, Ontario. It is the fourth biggest general retailer in the United States.
　　9
　　K Mart
　　As of January 28, 2006, Kmart operated a total of 1,416 Kmart stores across 49 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This store count included 1,361 discount stores, averaging 92,000 square feet, and 55 Super Centers, averaging 165,000 square feet. Kmart’s world headquarters was located in Troy, Michigan, in a sprawling complex which, since Kmart’s relocation to Illinois, has been slated for demolition. Kmart became known for its “Blue Light Specials.” They occurred at surprise moments when a store worker would light up a mobile police light and offer a discount in a specific department of the store.
　　8
　　Target
　　Target is an American retailing company that was founded inMinneapolis, Minnesota in 1902 under the name of Dayton Dry Goods Company. In 1962, the first Target store opened in Roseville, Minnesota, and in 2000 the company changed its name from Dayton Hudson to Target. It is the fifth largest retailer by sales revenue in the United States.
　　7
　　Kroger
　　Kroger is an American retail supermarket chain and parent company, founded by Bernard Henry Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported over US$70 billion in sales during fiscal year 2008 and is currently the second-largest grocery retailer in the country by volume and third-place general retailer in the country.
　　6
　　Lowe’s
　　Lowe’s is a US-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves over 14+ million customers a week in its 1,555 stores in every state and Canada. With the opening of the South Burlington, Vermont location, Lowe’s now operates stores in all 50 states. Expansion into Canada began in 2007, with the opening of a store in Hamilton, Ontario. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is 48 on the Fortune 500 list. As of 2008, the chain is based in Mooresville, North Carolina, about 30 minutes north of uptown Charlotte. Lowe’s is the second-largest hardware chain in the U.S. behind The Home Depot and ahead of Menards.