
With the pandemic shaking up the way America shops for just about everything, the National Retail Federation’s annual Hot 100 ranking is full of surprises, offering a look at the future of
shopping. Lidl, Wayfair, Build.com, Don Quijote and Amazon are the five fastest-growing retailers this year, with grocery chains emerging as potential powerhouses.
The list, compiled for
the NRF by Kantar, is based on the increase in last year’s sales volume, so no COVID-19 purchases figure into the ranking -- at least, not yet. But the Washington D.C.-based trade association
says the list does provide an accurate peek into a post-COVID world, dominated by ecommerce and food sellers.
Boxed.com, Five Below, At Home Stores, Coborn’s and
Primark round out the top 10, all with an annual growth rate of 14% or more.
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Acknowledging the stratospheric increases in online shopping since the pandemic began, the
organization says the list favors companies that have been heavily investing in digital and omnichannel offers.
“Where we are now, in terms how we shop and purchase items,
is where we would have been ten years from now,” says Reid Greenberg, executive vice president of global digital and ecommerce at Kantar, in the organization’s report. “Over four
months, we’ve pressed the fast-forward button on shopping methods.”
He says the appearance of Amazon is proof its Prime membership revenue and marketplace offers can
keep its growth rates as high as much smaller companies.
But the list also favors stores that understand that when people do want to shop in person, the experience had better be
engaging, with both Lidl (up 69%) and Coborn’s (up 15%) illustrating how much more people can expect from grocery chains. Regional grocers have been gaining ground for several years, the report
says, in part because they can be more agile.
And while stores like the Japanese-based Don Quijote, Five Below and At Home seem to have little in common, all share a similar
treasure-hunt vibe, providing a kind of entertainment the NRF says is hard to duplicate online.
In proof that apparel was already struggling before the pandemic, Primark
(No. 10, up 14%) is the only clothing retailer near the top of the list, beloved for its rock-bottom prices.
Lululemon only ranks No. 20.