The "Top 100 Retailers 2020" rating was generated based on sales data for the 2019 financial year.
Today is the time to look at retail through a Darwinian filter - retailers that survive are, by definition, among the fittest. However, it is too early to draw far-reaching conclusions against the backdrop of current events.
A certain role in the sustainability of the retailer is the accumulated experience. The more various crises fell on the company's share, the more confident it will feel in the future. Naturally, such monsters as walmart, Amazon and Kroger, with their huge number of stores and billions in revenue, more than enough experience. Not surprisingly, they have been the permanent leaders of the rating for a long time.
It should be noted that the top ten includes companies offering a wide range of products, and not limited to, for example, only clothing. But they achieved their position not only due to universality. Other factors also played an important role here, such as the development of e-commerce, improving interaction with consumers, expanding the scope of activities, application of new technologies etc..
The rating also includes such companies as Macy's, JC Penney and Neiman Marcus, which are going through hard times today. Their future is still uncertain and the events caused by the coronavirus pandemic and massive store closures can cause a lot of difficulties and even file for bankruptcy.
According to Tori Gundelach, senior vice president of marketing at Kantar Consulting, a research firm that contributed to the rankings, retailers that dominated before the crisis continue to dominate. The weak have become even weaker. But at the same time, Gundelach warns against wanting to view the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic as something already left behind. In his opinion, this is a significant event, the consequences of which will be felt for a very long time, affecting the state of companies in 2021-2022, and maybe even longer.
