Surprise, Surprise, Surprise: “Best Retailers” Roster Contains Some Twists

At first glance, Newsweek‘s “America’s Best Retailers” roster looks like a case of “round up the usual suspects.” But closer scrutiny of the rankings within each category reveals several surprises, including the omission of some major players.

Examples:

• Department stores: Van Maur bested such stalwarts as Neiman Marcus, Saks, Nordstrom and Macy’s Bloomingdales unit (but Macy’s itself did not make the cut).
• Supermarkets: leading this 10-member category is Wegmans, with industry behemoth Kroger not getting a mention.
• Superstores: Costco tops this category, and though Walmart did not make the roster, its Sam’s Club (3) unit did.
• Home improvement: Tractor Supply finished first in this line, besting such vaunted competitors as Lowe’s (3) and Home Depot (5).

To compile the list, Newsweek teamed with market research/consumer data firm Statista to survey shoppers about stores in 39 product categories. Participants were asked about their likelihood of recommending a retailer to friends and family and how they rated it based on such factors as price, selection and overall atmosphere.

Click here for the complete roster.