Every year, Deloitte creates a ranking of the 250 largest retailers worldwide and for the first time ever, Amazon enters the top 10. Consumers are looking for surprising experiences and products, the consultant claims.
Five trends
The ‘Global Powers of Retailing’ report, up to its 20th edition this year, has more to offer than a mere ranking. It analyses the economic environment, looks forward to the future and defines the leading consumer trends. Technology is no longer an addition to the shopping experience, but a fundamental part of the entire structure. However, technology alone does not suffice: consumers desire new and surprising products and experiences.
According to Deloitte, five trends will decide consumer behaviour: consumers are not as defined by their belongings as they used to be and focus more on experiences, they are looking for experiences and products that fit the personal brand they exhibit on social media; the sharing economy is growing and makes it hard for retailers to decide what they are and do. In order to remain relevant, retailers have to be able to meet the contemporary consumer’s desire to have everything “on-demand”. Exponential technological evolutions change our life and how we shop.
Shuffled
In the 2017 edition, based on 2015’s financial information, the four largest retailers maintain their position, but the remainder of the (very American) top 10 gets shuffled because of acquisition and fluctuating exchange rates. Walmart is still the unsurpassed number 1 despite a weaker year with unfavourable exchange rates, store closures and lower gas prices. The first European retailer is Schwarz, Lidl‘s parent company, at 4.
The Walgreens – Alliance Boots merger, finalized in 2014, has created the world’s fifth largest retail group, which has pushed it up five places. The Home Depot also took strides, surpassing supermarket chains Carrefour and Aldi. Tesco survived a year full of restructuring programs and Amazon, with an annual double-digit growth, stepped into the top 10 for the first time. Metro Group dropped dropped a spot, after selling its department store chain Galeria Kaufhof to Hudson’s Bay Company.
Ahold and Delhaize are still mentioned separately in this ranking (23rd and 34th), while Louis Group is 107th, Colruyt 120th and Jumbo 161st.
The top ten
| Position | Evolution | Company | 2015 turnover (million dollars) |
| 1. | – | Wal-Mart | 482,130 |
| 2. | – | Costco | 116,199 |
| 3. | – | Kroger | 109,830 |
| 4. | – | Schwarz | 94,448 |
| 5. | +5 | Walgreens Boots Alliance | 89,631 |
| 6. | +3 | The Home Depot | 88,519 |
| 7. | -1 | Carrefour | 84,856 |
| 8. | -1 | Aldi | 82,164 |
| 9. | -4 | Tesco | 81,019 |
| 10. | +2 | Amazon | 79,268 |
