NRF releases the top 100 retailers in the United States in 2023, taking stock of the powerful players in each category

It is learned that on July 5, the National Retail Federation (NRF) and data company Kantar released the 2023 US TOP100 Retailer List, and analyzed retailers with relatively strong market performance in multiple categories. The ranking is based on the domestic retail sales data of major retailers in the United States in 2022.

Data shows that Walmart ranked first with retail sales of US$499.65 billion, a year-on-year increase of 7.8%; Amazon ranked second with sales of US$232.46 billion, a year-on-year increase of 6.7%; Costco Wholesale, The Kroger Co. and The Home Depot once again ranked among the top five.

Overall, all major retailers in the United States achieved sales growth in 2022, with similar growth rates. However, there were slight changes in the rankings, with Kroger rising from fifth to fourth; The Home Depot falling from fourth to fifth; Target rising from seventh to sixth; CVS Health Corporation falling from eighth to seventh; and Walgreens Boots Alliance rising from sixth to eighth.

Kantar Vice President Marcote interpreted the U.S. retail market from a more micro perspective, as follows:

1. Kohl's, Dell Technologies and Signet Jewelers had the biggest fluctuations

Data shows that jewelry retailer Signet Jewelers jumped 10 places in the list to 56th place. The reason may be its acquisition of Blue Nile and Diamonds Direct, or it may be related to the fact that jewelry products are less affected by the supply chain.

On the other hand, Kohl's and Dell Technologies were the two retailers with the largest sales declines, with the former ranking 30th with a year-on-year sales decline of 7.1% and the latter ranking 39th with a year-on-year sales decline of 20.3%.

2. Large supermarket chains and retailers continue to grow, while pharmacies suffer due to lack of manpower

According to Marcote, similar to the global retail market trend, large supermarket chains and large retailers have seen significant growth in the United States. This may be due to the fact that American consumers are worried about recession and inflation and are more willing to join membership programs to get discounts.

Among these retailers, strong players include Walmart, Amazon, Costco and Target (ranked 6th). Walmart's store sales increased by 8.2%; Costco's store sales increased by 10%, and it is expected that there will be a lot of room for growth in the future.

Meanwhile, drugstore retailers such as CVS Health Corporation (No. 7), Walgreens Boots Alliance (No. 8) and Rite Aid (No. 29) have suffered from labor shortages, shortened hours and closed stores, and relatively weak data is expected to continue.

3. Aldi is still winning market share through ultra-low price strategy

Aldi ranked 15th with U.S. sales up 8.1% to $40.21 billion. The number of U.S. stores also grew 4.3%. Marcote expects the company to expand in the coming year and perhaps move up the rankings further.

For American consumers, the reduction in discretionary spending has made them less willing to take risks in buying new brand goods. However, Aldi's prices are low enough to attract many new consumers. In addition, Aldi excels in store brands and products, such as German goods during Christmas, which consumers cannot find elsewhere.

4. More international retailers are entering the U.S. market

Marcotte said that international retail giants are expanding into the United States, and 2022 is the first year that this trend will be "more pronounced", and the United States is still considered a stable, safe and growing consumer market.

Especially from Mexico's retail companies. For example, Grupo Comercial Chedraui's acquisition of Smart & Final Holdings Inc., which took effect in 2022, put the company at No. 57, with a 137.3% increase in U.S. sales and a 205.7% increase in U.S. stores. In 2022, 59% of its global sales came from the United States.

Additionally, Marcote said Femsa, which owns Oxxo convenience stores in Mexico, is “very, very bullish on the U.S.,” while Cencosud acquired The Fresh Market. “7-Eleven (No. 19) and Circle K (part of Alimentation Couche-Tard, No. 42) have long-term international investments in the U.S. and are both actively working to expand their presence in the U.S..”

5. Changing retail trends in home improvement and gardening

In the U.S. home improvement and gardening retail market, strong players include The Home Depot (ranked 5th), Lowe's (ranked 9th), Ace Hardware (ranked 21st) and True Value Co. (ranked 73rd).

Lowe's fared better than The Home Depot early in the pandemic, thanks to its portfolio of experiential services, home improvement and gardening supplies, but that has reversed as U.S. consumers turn to DIY projects.

TheHomeDepot quickly took action, remodeled its stores, changed its product mix, and improved its gardening supplies, and it remains the preferred purchasing channel for professional users. In this market, Ace Hardware (No. 21) also performed well.

Agricultural and household goods retailer TractorSupply has grown significantly, ranking 32nd, with U.S. sales increasing by 11.4%, and has performed well in its transformation from a small company to a large company. It is worth noting that about 40% of the retailer's revenue comes from feed, including cat food, dog food, horse food, cattle food, rabbit food, and human food.

6. Changes in retail sales of other categories

The research shows that in 2022, camping and outdoor products retailers as a whole showed an upward trend; outdoor products and sporting equipment retailer Academy Sports + Outdoors (70th) dropped 10 places and its US sales fell 5.6%; electronic technology retailers felt the impact of early consumption of electronic products; and the leisure category was generally "mixed."

The report also shows that organized retail crime is an important factor in the decline in retail sales. Over the past five years, the average theft rate in the US retail industry has not changed much, from 1.5% to 1.44%. In 2022, group attacks have reappeared and are more organized, forcing many retailers to close stores.

Editor✎ Ashley/

Disclaimer: This article is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without permission.