WASHINGTON – The National Retail Federation has released its 2026 Top 100 Retailers list, with Walmart once again topping the rankings as the nation’s largest retailer by U.S. retail sales.
Compiled by Kantar, the annual ranking measures retailers by their 2025 U.S. retail sales, excluding non-retail business revenue to provide a clearer picture of retail performance.
View NRF’s Top 100 Retailers ranking
“Despite significant economic challenges over the past year, this year’s Top 100 Retailers list highlights a resilient group of companies,” said Mark Mathews, NRF’s chief economist and executive director of research. “They are adapting to meet changing consumer needs and leaning into new strategies and formats that set them apart.”
Walmart retained the No. 1 position with $579.99 billion in U.S. retail sales, up 4.2% year over year. Amazon remained No. 2 with $293.85 billion in sales, reflecting 7.3% growth. Costco Wholesale ranked third at $198.73 billion, followed by The Kroger Co. at $154.74 billion and The Home Depot at $141.12 billion.
The top 20 remained largely unchanged from last year, with the only change at No. 19, where Ace Hardware entered the top 20 with $27.55 billion in U.S. retail sales. Dollar Tree fell to No. 29 after completing the Family Dollar divestiture and reporting a 38.1% decline in year-over-year sales.
“Companies are doing quite well,” said David Marcotte, senior vice president of global insights and technology at Kantar. “We’re not seeing movement at the top of the rankings, but there is change outside of the top 20 as the mid-tier companies evolve and grow. And it’s much easier to do that in this environment than it was 20 years ago.”
The report highlighted several trends shaping the retail landscape. Regional grocery chains continued to outperform many larger competitors, with Publix Super Markets ranked No. 12 and H.E. Butt Grocery ranked No. 16. Off-price retailers also gained momentum, led by TJX Companies at No. 15, benefiting from sustained demand for value-oriented apparel and broader mid-priced assortments.
Hardware retailers also posted strong results, with Ace Hardware and True Value Co. benefiting from steady consumer spending on home maintenance and repair projects.
Among the biggest movers, DICK’S Sporting Goods climbed to No. 27 from No. 35 a year ago, with U.S. retail sales up 48.5%, largely driven by its acquisition of Foot Locker.
The NRF Top 100 Retailers ranking is based on retailers’ most recent 52- or 53-week U.S. retail sales and focuses exclusively on domestic retail operations.
Visit the link here to view the full 2026 Top 100 Retailers list, along with insights on the methodology and answers to frequently asked questions.
For additional insights, view NRF’s 2026 Top 50 Global Retailers and 2025 Hot 25 Retailers lists.
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