Top retail companies in EUROPE
These top retail companies in Europe serve as inspiration for businesses around the world.
The European retail landscape is dominated by companies operating in the food sector, and largely concentrated in western countries: among the top 10 retailers in terms of revenue, 5 are from Germany, 3 from France, and 2 from the United Kingdom.
At the top of the list of retail businesses stands the German powerhouse Schwarz-Gruppe (owner of Lidl), boasting a turnover exceeding €100 billion/ year. Trailing close behind are Aldi, Tesco, and Carrefour, each reporting yearly revenues surpassing €60 billion.
While the food sector dominates, there are notable exceptions in other industries. Companies like Ikea, Euronics, and online giants Amazon and Otto demonstrate revenue comparable to some of the leading food merchants mentioned above.
Online retailing has experienced remarkable growth, with Amazon alone witnessing annual increases of up to 40%. Though this growth may temper in the future, Amazon’s turnover is projected to double within 3 to 4 years, potentially surpassing Schwarz-Gruppe as Europe’s largest retailer by 2025.
Top 30 retailers in Europe (by company size)
| Rank | Retailer | Turnover | Headquarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schwarz (owner of Lidl) | 113 | Germany |
| 2 | Aldi | 761 | Germany |
| 3 | Carrefour | 73 | France |
| 4 | Tesco | 64 | UK |
| 5 | Rewe | 63 | Germany |
| 6 | Edeka | 56 | Germany |
| 7 | Les Mousquetaires | 41 | France |
| 8 | E.Leclerc | 392 | France |
| 9 | Sainsbury | 36 | UK |
| 10 | Auchan | 33 | France |
| 11 | Amazon | 32 | USA |
| 12 | Ikea | 29 | Sweden |
| 13 | Coop | 29 | Switzerland |
| 14 | Migros | 27 | Switzerland |
| 15 | Ahold Delhaize | 26 | Netherlands |
| 16 | Asda | 26 | UK |
| 17 | Metro | 25 | Germany |
| 18 | Mercadona | 24 | Spain |
| 19 | Ceconomy | 22 | Germany |
| 20 | SystemU | 21 | France |
| 21 | Adeo | 21 | France |
| 22 | Morrissons | 20 | UK |
| 23 | Euronics | 19 | Netherlands |
| 24 | Casino | 18 | France |
| 25 | Inditex | 18 | Spain |
| 26 | El Corte Ingles | 15 | Spain |
| 27 | H&M | 15 | Sweden |
| 28 | Kingfisher | 13 | UK |
| 29 | Otto Group | 12 | Germany |
| 30 | Marks & Spencer | 12 | UK |
*All turnover figures are based on the latest financial records as published by the retailers in annual reports and/or press releases.
Top 10 Fashion & Apparel retailers in Europe (by revenue)
Analysing fashion retailers in Europe is a difficult task as the market is fragmented and changing at a super-fast pace. From iconic luxury brands to fast-fashion favorites, the European fashion landscape is a melting pot of creativity, innovation, and trendsetting styles. These retailers have garnered international acclaim for their exceptional designs, high-quality products, and unparalleled customer experiences.
In this diverse and competitive market, fashion houses hailing from fashion capitals like Paris, Milan, and London vie for the attention of style-conscious consumers. With a blend of heritage brands and contemporary upstarts, Europe’s top fashion and apparel retailers cater to a broad spectrum of tastes, offering something for everyone, from classic elegance to cutting-edge trends.
Behind the glitz and glamour, these retailers are also at the forefront of sustainability efforts, ethical practices, and technological advancements, continually shaping the industry’s future. These are the biggest fashion retail companies in Europe.
| Rank | Retailer | Turnover (in 2021) | Stores | Headquarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inditex | 17,5 | 4 467 | Spain |
| 2 | H&M | 13,2 | 2 665 | Sweden |
| 3 | Zalando | 10,4 | online | Germany |
| 4 | JD Sports | 7,2 | 735 | United Kingdom |
| 5 | Primark | 6,6 | 362 | United Kingdom |
| 6 | LVMH | 6,5 | 1 203 | France |
| 7 | Next | 5,4 | 477 | United Kingdom |
| 8 | C&A | 5,2 | 1 290 | Luxemburg |
| 9 | Pepco | 4,1 | 3504 | Poland |
| 10 | Asos | 3,2 | online | United Kingdom |
*All turnover figures are based on the latest financial records as published by the retailers in annual reports and/or press releases.
Top 10 food retailers in Europe (by revenue)
In the world of food retail, Europe is home to a diverse and dynamic array of top retailers that cater to the palates of millions. From traditional grocery chains to innovative specialty stores, the food retail landscape in Europe is a blend of cultural influences, offering an extensive range of products to satisfy every culinary desire.
As food is an integral part of European culture, the top food retailers have earned their reputation for freshness, quality, and customer-centric services. With a strong focus on sustainability, organic offerings, and locally-sourced products, these retailers are leading the charge in promoting environmentally conscious practices in the food industry. They continuously embrace technological advancements to enhance the shopping experience, with online delivery and innovative mobile apps becoming increasingly popular among consumers.
The biggest food retail giants on the list are international companies with headquarters in Germany. Schwarz Gruppe, owner of Lidl, is at the top of the list with a yearly turnover bigger than €100B.
| Rank | Retailer | Turnover (in 2021) | Stores | Headquarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schwarz Gruppe | 125,3 | 12 600 | Germany |
| 2 | Aldi (Nord+Süd) | 106,3 | 8 826 | Germany |
| 3 | Rewe | 63,7 | 8 369 | Germany |
| 4 | Edeka | 61,0 | 3 600 | Germany |
| 5 | Tesco | 56,67 | 4 613 | United Kingdom |
| 6 | Carrefour | 55,37 | 11 145 | France |
| 7 | E.Leclerc | 40,9 | 1 5001 | France |
| 8 | Les Mousquetaires | 40,01 | 2 659 | France |
| 9 | Sainsbury’s | 36,4 | 2 297 | United Kingdom |
| 10 | Auchan | 31,6 | 4 084 | France |
*All turnover figures are based on the latest financial records as published by the retailers in annual reports and/or press releases.
Top sport retailers in Europe
Europe boasts a vibrant and competitive landscape filled with top-notch retailers catering to athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and outdoor adventurers. Europe’s sports retailers offer a wide array of products and services to help people stay active and reach their athletic goals.
European sports retailers emphasize innovation, sustainability, and customer-centric approaches, continually pushing the boundaries of sports technology and eco-friendly practices. Many of these retailers have also embraced e-commerce and digital platforms, allowing customers to access their favourite gear and merchandise online.
Decathlon ranks top of the list, with over 2080 stores in 56 countries, it is the largest sporting goods retailer in the world. The company manages the research, design, production, logistics and distribution of its products in-house, partners with global suppliers and markets its own brands directly to consumers.
| Rank | Retailer | Turnover | Headquarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Decathlon | 12,300 | France |
| 2 | Intersport | 11,300 | Switzerland |
| 3 | JD Sport | 3,470 | Germany |
| 4 | Sports Direct | 3,080 | UK |
| 5 | Sport 2000 | 2,000 | Germany |
| 6 | Footlocker | 1,560 | USA |
| 7 | Hervis Sport | 510 | Austria |
| 8 | XXL sport & villmark | 473 | Norway |
*All turnover figures are based on the latest financial records as published by the retailers in annual reports and/or press releases.
Top 10 Consumer Electronics retailers in Europe
The market for consumer electronics is not as old as the food or fashion sector but there are anyhow clear leaders in this space.
Ceconomy (Media Markt-Saturn) marks the top position. The firm is present in almost every European country to date, and amounted an annual turnover of €20,8 billion (2020).
Euronics and Expert follow in 2nd and 3rd position.
In this sector we also see a strong web presence. The rankings in this list show traditional retailers as well as department stores and pure internet retailers.
| Rank | Retailer | Turnover | Stores | Headquarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ceconomy | 20.8 | 1,023 | Germany |
| 2 | Euronics | 191 | 8,500+ | Netherlands |
| 3 | Expert | 16 | 4,000 | Switzerland |
| 4 | Currys (Dixons Carphone) | 11.5 | 939 | United Kingdom |
| 5 | Fnac-Darty | 7.49 | 908 | France |
| 6 | Elkjøp | 3.86 | 412 | Norway |
| 7 | Argos (Sainsbury’s) | 3.81 | 876 | United Kingdom |
| 8 | Boulanger | 3.01 | 239 | France |
| 9 | UniEuro | 2.45 | 427 | Italy |
| 10 | Coolblue | 1.99 | 133 | Netherlands |
*All turnover figures are based on the latest financial records as published by the retailers in annual reports and/or press releases.
Top jewelry & watches retailers in Europe
These retailers offer stunning and elegant jewelry. As examples, Richemont is a luxury goods company with many prestigious brands, the Swatch Group is known for its precise and innovative watches, Swarovski creates sparkling crystal creations, and Pandora is famous for its unique charms and accessories that let customers express their personal style.
| Rank | Retailer | Turnover (in 2019) | Headquarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richemont | 4.29 | Switzerland |
| 2 | Swatch Group | 2.18 | Switzerland |
| 3 | Swarovski | 2 | Austria |
| 4 | Pandora | 1.62 | Denmark |
| 5 | LMVH | 1.21 | France |
| 6 | Bucherer | 1.1 | Switzerland |
| 7 | Audemars Piguet | 0.88 | Switzerland |
| 8 | Aurum Holdings | 0.75 | UK |
| 9 | Wempe | 0.52 | Germany |
| 10 | Signet | 0.48 | USA |
*All turnover figures are based on the latest financial records as published by the retailers in annual reports and/or press releases.
Top 10 Footwear & Leather retailers in Europe
This statistic presents the turnover of leading footwear and leather retailers in Europe in 2021. That year, the German company, Deichmann, held the highest turnover in this retail sector, accumulating a total of €5.5 billion. Deichmann also ranked as the most popular footwear retailer in Germany, with approximately 28 million customers in 2020.
| Rank | Retailer | Turnover | Stores | Headquarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deichmann | 5,5 | 4 200 | Germany |
| 2 | ANWR-Schuh | 2,6 | 3187 | Germany |
| 3 | Wortmann | 2,0 | 8801 | Germany |
| 4 | Footlocker | 1,6 | 626 | USA |
| 5 | CCC | 1,3 | 992 | Germany |
| 6 | Eram | 1 | 820 | France |
| 7 | Clarks | 0,5 | 650 | United Kindgom |
| 8 | Ara-Gruppe | 0,5 | 500 | Germany |
| 9 | Chaussea | 0,51 | 3801 | France |
| 10 | Geox | 0,43 | 410 | Italy |
*All turnover figures are based on the latest financial records as published by the retailers in annual reports and/or press releases.
Conclusion
In the ever-changing retail landscape, these top European retail companies serve as inspiration for businesses around the world. Their commitment to quality, sustainability, and customer satisfaction sets a benchmark for others to follow.
As we move forward, we can expect these retail leaders to continue shaping the industry and setting new standards for success. As a retail professional, keeping an eye on these top European retail companies will provide valuable insights into the ever-evolving world of retail and consumer trends.
