Crate & Barrel is a retail household items and kitchenware store with more than 145 locations and 7,000-plus associates in the United States. It also offers it products through catalogue and Internet divisions and has launched a children s furnishings company. The company sells a variety of products, including dinnerware, flatware, drink ware, dishes, table linens, kitchen accessories, gourmet foods, furniture, rugs, curtains, lighting, home accessories, bed and bath items. The company also offers convenient gift cards and registry services. When Crate & Barrel first opened its doors in Chicago in 1962, it offered affordable gourmet cookware and contemporary house wares. Skilled craftsmen and artists still create many of the innovative, high-quality designs found exclusively at Crate & Barrel. The company has warehouse and distribution facilities on each coast and in the Midwest. There is a Crate & Barrel store in Palo Alto, Calif.