Retail Sector Industry Profile

Companies in this sector sell a wide range of products to consumers and businesses, from food and apparel to hardware, household goods, and office supplies. Major companies include Costco, Kroger, and Walmart (all based in the US); as well as ALDI and Schwarz Gruppe (Germany); Carrefour (France); and Tesco (UK).

Global retail sales -- including both in-store and online purchases -- are projected to recover by 5.1% in 2021, according to eMarketer. Europe and North America are home to the many of the world's largest retail companies, with Europe accounting for 88 of the 250 largest retailers in the world, according to Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. However, North America is dominant in the top 10 with seven of these companies are US-based. US-based retailers are the most global and are aggressively expanding their operations abroad. The top market for international expansion is Asia, particularly China and Hong Kong.

The US retail industry includes about 1 million outlets with combined annual revenue of about $5 trillion. The industry includes auto dealers and internet and catalog retailers, but generally excludes food and drinking establishments, such as restaurants and bars.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

The internet and increasing consumer connectivity are transforming the retail sector, with physical stores losing market share to online operators. Even segments once assumed to be relatively safe from online competition, such as grocery and auto parts retail, are facing increasing competition from ...