Co-ops and worker owned firms make list of world’s biggest retailers

'Across the retail industry, disruption of traditional business models has given way to unprecedented and transformative change'

Several co-ops have been included in the list of world’s 250 biggest retailers, compiled by professional services network Deloitte.

Deloitte’s 21st annual Global Powers of Retailing report is based on publicly available data for the fiscal year 2016 (ending June 2017), and analyses their performance across geographies and product sectors.

The highest placed co-op on the list is Germany’s Rewe, at number 22; the UK’s Co-op Group came in at 102. The overall number one spot was taken by US retailer Wal-Mart, which had retail revenues of US $485,873.

Co-ops and employee-owned businesses on the list are:

  • 22 German retail tourism group Rewe, retail revenues of $44,641m.
  • 25 French hypermarket chain E Leclerc, with retail revenues of $39,646m.
  • 29 US worker-owned retailer Publix supermarkets, with retail  revenues of $34,274m
  • 39 Swiss supermarket group the Federation of Migros Cooperatives, with  retail revenues of $24,152m
  • 43 Swiss retailer the Coop Group with retail revenues of $22,401m
  • 70 Worker-owned UK retailer the John Lewis Partnership with retail revenues of $13,361m
  • 72 Italian retailer Coop Italia with retail revenues of $13,042m
  • 78 Italian co-operative retail consortium Conad Consorzio Nazionale/ Dettaglianti Soc. Coop with retail revenues of $12,345
  • 88 Finnish supermarket co-op S Group with retail revenues of $10,835m
  • 102 UK retailer the Co-op Group with retail revenues of $9,631m
  • 147 US employee-owned grocer Winco Foods with retail revenues of $6,700m
  • 168 Spain’s Eroski, a worker-consumer co-op hybrid supermarket, part of Mondragon, with retail revenues of $5,641m
  • 171 Danish supermarket Coop Danmark, with retail revenues of $5,602m
  • 180 Norwegian supermarket Coop Norge, with retail revenues of $5,290m
  • 209 New Zealand supermarket co-op Foodstuffs North Island, with retail revenues of $4,527m
  • 242 Swedish supermarket Coop Sweden, with retail revenues of $3,683m

This year’s report focuses on the theme of “Transformative change, reinvigorated commerce,” which looks at the latest retail trends and the future of retailing through the lens of young consumers.

It says: “The rules of retailing are being rewritten in this time of transformative change. Innovation, collaboration, consolidation, integration, and automation will likely be required to reinvigorate commerce, profoundly impacting the way retailers do business now, and in the future.

“Across the retail industry, disruption of traditional business models has given way to unprecedented and transformative change—change required online and offline to better serve more demanding shoppers and redefining customer experience.”

Related: Co-operative Retail Conference hears how the latest trends will affect UK stores

The four trends identified in the report are:

  • Building top-notch digital capabilities
  • Combining bricks and clicks makes up for lost time
  • Creating unique and compelling in-store experiences
  • Reinventing retail with the latest technologies
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