Kantar: Walmart top retailer for 26th year

Walmart snagged top honors again in the Kantar PoweRanking report for 2022. It’s the 26th year the Bentonville-based retailer ranked first and is a testament to the company’s financial strength and scale, Kantar noted in the report.

More than 70 major retailers were evaluated in the rankings that examined strategy, profitability and growth achievements, customer focus and shopper insights as well as supply chain management, innovation and sustainability metrics. Kantar said the results were tabulated on a two-year rolling basis.

“Walmart continues to be No. 1 in supply chain management due to its data, real-time inventory visibility and collaboration with suppliers,” the report stated.

Target took the No. 2 spot, while Kroger, Amazon and Costco rounded out the top five. Kantar said the top 5 rankings were consistent with last year. Target did get two No. 1 rankings in innovative marketing and best store branding, but those gains were not enough to push the retailer ahead of Walmart. Kroger was touted as “the best at leveraging shopper data and execution as well as building a vision for the future.”

Kantar said Target has the best maturity with respect to reaching shoppers digitally because of its strength in general merchandise. Amazon scored points for its massive digital advertising business and strong analytics capabilities, and Costco scored high for its ability to drive price value for its members.

The PoweRankings report also evaluated manufacturers and their retail relationships. PepsiCo took the top spot again this year for the seventh time. Coca-Cola, P&G, Nestle, and Unilever rounded out the top 5. Springdale-based Tyson Foods moved into the top 10.