What do Sprouts Farmers Market, Axel Johnson AB, Albertsons Companies, JD.com and Vipshop Holdings have in common? They are the world’s fastest growing retailers, according to Wall St 24/7.
Two are headquartered in Asia, two in North America and one in Europe.
Let’s take a look at the top five and how they have been making news lately:
- Sprouts Farmers Market: This American supermarket chain had retail sales totaling $3.6 billion in fiscal year 2015. Five-year annual retail growth was 47.4%. In recent months, the chain has expanded to several U.S. cities. Earlier this year, three stores opened near Atlanta with a fourth planned for June, increasing the number of stores in the metro area to 16. A store also opened in Florida, its third. Meanwhile, two stores in Philadelphia and one in Orlando have been proposed. Source: Atlanta Business Journals, Tampa Bay Business Journals, The Philly and Orlando Business Journals, Wall St 24/7
- Axel Johnson AB: This Swedish supermarket chain operates under the names Axfood and Axstores. It had retail sales totaling $5.9 billion in fiscal year 2015. Five-year annual retail growth was 49.2%. In January, Axfood acquired Eurocash Food, the largest grocer along the Swedish-Norwegian border, for an undisclosed amount. Axfood also purchased Norgesgruppen, contingent upon approval by the Swedish Competition Authority. The purchases are part of a strategy to strengthen sales in Sweden and gain access to cross-border customers. Source: Yahoo! Finance and Wall St 24/7
- Albertsons Companies: This American supermarket chain had retail sales totaling $58.7 billion in fiscal year 2015. Five-year annual retail growth was 74.1%. The company has started a pilot program in Idaho which will expand healthcare at Albertsons’ pharmacies by allowing pharmacy technicians to perform immunisations. Interested technicians received a four-hour training course. The program is the first in the U.S. to allow pharmacy technicians to undergo the pharmacy board-approved training to administer immunisations to pharmacy patients. Source: PR Newswire and Wall St 24/7
- JD.com: China’s largest retailer after Alibaba Group Holdings had retail sales totaling $27 billion in fiscal year 2015. Five-year annual retail growth was 81.3%. Since going public, the company has posted its first quarterly profit. In 2016, the company purchased Wal-Mart’s Yihaodian local shopping platform. Since, sales have increased 41%. There are plans later this year to spin off the company’s online payments and finance division. This quarter, profits are forecasted to grow between 35% and 39% as it invests in new markets. During the first quarter, the number of customers rose to 236.5 million and volume grew 42%. Source: Bloomberg Technology and Wall St 24/7
- Vipshop Holdings: This Chinese company had retail sales totaling only $6.1 billion in fiscal year 2015. However, five-year annual retail growth was 184.6%. Over the next year, earnings are forecasted to grow 22.2%. Is this growth realistic? The company has not kept up with average growth in earnings over the past year, so it seems unlikely. Source: Simply Wall St. and Wall St 24/7
Top photo © mathisworks / Getty Images
