NRF's Top 100 Retailers ranks the industry’s largest companies according to sales.
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The National Retail Federation’s annual Top 100 Retailers list ranks retailers based on U.S. sales. Walmart continues to hold the top spot, followed by Amazon, Costco, Kroger and The Home Depot. This series takes a look at power players in select retail categories. Power players are retailers in this Top 100 list with 2024 U.S. sales equal to or greater than 10% of the sales of the category leader.
In June, a cyberattack forced distributor United Natural Foods Inc. to stop deliveries to more than 30,000 North American grocery stores. David Marcotte, senior vice president of global retail and technology at Kantar, says “cybersecurity has rapidly emerged as a highly variable and constant threat to mid-sized groceries that lack the broader capabilities of large IT shops.” The emergence of criminal groups selling sophisticated tools for hacking has opened retail to attacks.
The 2025 NRF Top 100 Retailers list, compiled by Kantar, ranks the industry’s largest companies according to U.S. retail sales in 2024. Companies on the list are considered Power Players when they’ve had U.S. sales equal to or greater than 10% of the sales of the category leader.
The Kroger Co. (No. 4) takes the top spot in the category; other Power Players include Albertsons Companies (No. 10), Publix Super Markets (No. 12), Royal Ahold Delhaize USA (No. 13), Aldi (No. 14) and H.E. Butt Grocery (No. 16).
Aldi has seen a 14% increase in U.S. sales from 2023 to 2024, thanks in part to the acquisition of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket, though the company sold them off earlier this year. Sprouts Farmers Market (No. 53, though not a Power Player) saw 13% growth. Royal Ahold Delhaize USA, meanwhile, experienced a cyberattack of its own in late 2024.
In the past year, says Marcotte, “the smaller independents — ranging from small-town grocers to high-profile experiential hybrid supermarkets – have done well in competing with the far larger regional chains.” Those that serve specific communities such as Hispanics and Asian have also seen growth.
Consolidation has allowed mid-sized regionals to gain synergies of costs and finance, as well as improve positioning in negotiations with wholesales and CPGs, Marcotte says. Examples include Raley’s combining with Bashas’ and Smart & Final becoming part of Chedraui's U.S. division of supermarkets. “Each doubled their volume and secured a stronger procurement position,” he says.
Marcotte has concern, however, for the small to medium independent grocers that are likely to be chains of 100-200 stores. “They’re under a lot of pressure, and not just from the big chains.” He expects stories of acquisitions to come.
