Some retailers, however, seem to have used the changing marketplace as an opportunity for growth. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the world's 25 fastest growing retailers with data from the National Retail Federation. The companies, from the NRF's report on the 250 largest companies worldwide, are ranked on their retail revenue annual growth rate between 2010 and 2015.
Whether due to rapid e-commerce sales growth or large acquisitions — the two main forces driving the fastest growing retailers — these companies share the ability to adapt and grow in the quickly changing retail landscape.
With an average retail revenue growth rate of 184.6 percent each year between 2010 and 2015, China-based Vipshop Holdings Limited is the fastest growing retailer in the world. Vipshop is a non-store clothing company, that is, all sales happen outside of a physical retail facility. There are three companies on this list that operate without any physical storefront.
Eight of the 25 fastest growing retailers worldwide are based in the United States, the most of any country. Following the United States are Russia and China with four and three retailers respectively.
Albertson’s Companies, Inc. was the fastest growing American retailer over the five-year period because of its acquisition of Safeway, which nearly tripled its size. Supermarket companies such as Albertson’s comprise the three fastest growing U.S.-based retailers. A joint analysis by Food Marketing Institute and Nielsen estimates that 20 percent of grocery shopping in America will be online by 2025.
