Fastest Growing Retailers In The U.S.

August 1, 2014

At first glance the list of the nation's fastest growing retailers appears to be more of a hodgepodge of industry sectors than evidence of a single, defined trend.  From grocery conglomerates and discount specialty stores to home furnishing and athletic wear companies, the top players on STORES' Hot 100 Retailers List run the gamut.  The list, published annually in the August issue of STORES Magazine, consists of retail companies that reported the greatest increase in domestic sales between 2012 and 2013.  All public and private companies with more than $300 million in sales were eligible for the list.

"The eclectic quality of the list is an upbeat indicator for retail," said STORES Media Editor Susan Reda.  "While Albertson's grew mainly by acquisition, Wayfair's ascent is 12 years in the making as this online specialist benefits from renewed consumer interest in sprucing up their homes.

"It's becoming a familiar story in our industry - growth stems from new products, innovative thinking and one-of-a-kind customer experiences," Reda said.

Idaho-based grocery Albertsons claims the top spot on the 2014 list, with sales growth of 432.7 percent between 2012 and 2013.  Albertson's growth - to 2013 sales of $19.5 billion - has primarily come from mergers and acquisitions.

Home furnishings companies Wayfair and Conn's made their marks this year, landing at No. 2 and No. 4, respectively.  Boston-based Wayfair saw its sales increase 52.5 percent between 2012 and 2013, while Texas-based Conn's sales grew 39.2 percent during that time frame.  A revitalized housing market has helped the home furnishings sector in recent years as consumers are once again investing in their homes.

Specialty retail company Ascena Retail Group secured the No. 3 spot this year.  Suffem, New York-based Ascena operates more than 3,800 stores throughout the United States and Canada, including the Justice and Dress Barn brands, and recently reported annualized revenues of more than $4.5 billion.  Sales for Ascena Retail Group grew 49.1 percent between 2012 and 2013.

Michael Kors Holdings has had tremendous staying power the past few years in terms of continued company growth, making the top 10 each of the past three years, including No. 6 this year.  The New York-based company's U.S. sales increased 36 percent between 2012 and 2013.

No. 7 Under Armour continues to take the athletic world by storm, landing in the top 10 for the first time on sales growth of 34.8 percent.  The Baltimore-based company reported U.S. sales of $672 million in 2013.

Michigan-based grocer SpartanNash (5), Five Below (9) and Amazon.com (10) also placed in the top 10.

"Hot retailers do things better than their competitors, and they've clearly carved out a proposition for the consumer," said Kantar Retail Chief Knowledge Officer Bryan Gildenberg.  "Part of that success is being at the right place at the right time with the right products, and the other part of it is being smart enough to know the differences in those factors between themselves and their competitors; in a slow growth market like 2013, share gains equal growth."

Hot 100 List names nine companies who have "sustained sizzle"

Talk about staying power: Nine retailers are being recognized for having made the Hot 100 each year since its inception in 2006.  The sustained sizzlers, listed in order of total sales growth (and with 2014 rank):

• Amazon.com - 852% (10)
• Ascena Retail Group - 366% (3)
• O'Reilly Automotive - 225% (53)
• Urban Outfitters - 196% (39)
• J. Crew - 158% (38)
• Tractor Supply Co. - 150% (34)
• Dick's Sporting Goods - 137% (69)
• Dollar Tree - 126% (87)
• Ross Stores - 97% (86)

The Hot 100 Retailers list is the definitive annual ranking of the fastest growing retail chains in the United States.  Rankings are determined by increases in year-over-year domestic sales between 2012 and 2013.

Source: National Retail Federation