Strength in (Big) Numbers

Despite a sluggish economy in 2002, the nation's 100 biggest retailers saw their total sales grow 6 percent, to $1.18 trillion. Those statistics are included in the 2003 Triversity Top 100 Retailers ranking, which was recently released by Stores magazine, the publication of the National Retail Federation (NRF, Washington, D.C.).

“A sluggish economy, threats of terrorism and a pending war with Iraq made 2002 an extremely challenging year for retail,” says Rick Gallagher, Stores' publisher and vp of the NRF, the world's largest retail trade association. “Most retailers have realized the need to re-evaluate their merchandising, their marketing, and everything in between. The best retailers understand that to remain competitive they must continually reinvent themselves, and we've seen some great creativity this year.”

Wal-Mart (Bentonville, Ark.) leads the list as the nation's largest retailer with 2002 sales of $246.5 billion, a 12.2 percent increase over the previous year. Wal-Mart has generated enough grocery sales to qualify as the largest U.S. seller of supermarket merchandise, but is expanding on new ideas to grow the company even more. Recently, the retailer introduced a brand exclusive, the Signature line from Levi's., and is testing the online rental of DVDs.

Home Depot (Atlanta) retained its place as the second-largest U.S. retailer, with 2002 sales of $58.2 billion, an 8.8 percent increase over 2001. Kroger (Cincinnati) preserved its No. 3 status with sales of $51.8 billion, a 3.3 percent rise.

A high rate of growth due to continued success from a designer-oriented strategy sped Target (Minneapolis) to the No. 4 slot, bumping Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) to No. 5. Costco (Issaquah, Wash.) advanced to No. 6, up two notches from 2002, ahead of No. 7 Albertson's (Boise, Idaho) and No. 8 Safeway (Pleasanton, Calif.).

Rounding out the top 10 retailers, J.C. Penney (Plano, Texas) advanced to No. 9 (up from No. 10 in 2002) due to the success of its Eckerd's drug stores. Kmart (Troy, Mich.), which recently emerged from bankruptcy, dropped to No. 10 from No. 7.