The National Retail Federation’s 2026 Top 100 Retailers report highlights a year of remarkable stability at the top of the industry while showing that meaningful growth and change continue throughout the broader retail landscape.
For the seventh consecutive year, Walmart and Amazon held the top two positions, followed by Costco Wholesale. The only change among the top 20 retailers was Ace Hardware moving into the No. 19 spot after Dollar Tree dropped to No. 29 following its divestiture of Family Dollar. The annual rankings, compiled by Kantar, are based on U.S. retail sales and exclude nonretail business revenue.
Although the rankings remained largely unchanged, many retailers posted notable performance gains. CVS Health recorded nearly 12 percent sales growth as it expanded its health care offerings, while Costco also delivered strong growth. Regional grocery chains continued to gain momentum, with Publix and H.E. Butt Grocery outperforming larger competitors in sales growth.
Much of the movement occurred outside the top 20. Dick’s Sporting Goods recorded the largest sales increase in the Top 100, growing 48.5 percent after acquiring Foot Locker. Off price retailers including TJX, Ross Stores and Burlington also continued steady expansion through higher sales and additional store openings.
Several established department stores experienced modest sales declines, while brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch benefited from renewed traffic at shopping malls and returned to the Top 100 rankings for the first time in more than a decade.
The report also highlights consistent growth among specialty retailers such as Sherwin Williams, Tractor Supply, Ulta Beauty and Five Below. Online retailers that expanded rapidly during the pandemic, including Chewy, Wayfair and Overstock, entered a period of more measured but stable growth.
Looking ahead, retail analysts identified slowing U.S. population growth as a long-term challenge. They noted that retailers will need to continue adapting their business strategies to sustain growth in an evolving marketplace.
