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JD Sports and Wawa were among the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S. last year.
The National Retail Federation debuted this year’s “Hot 25 Retailers” list, ranking the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S.
Washington—The National Retail Federation has unveiled its list of the 25 hottest retailers in the U.S.
This year’s “Hot 25 Retailers” list highlights the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S., ranking them by increases in domestic sales between 2023 and 2024.
All retailers with global sales above $2 billion were eligible for the list.
British sports and fashion retailer JD Sports was in the No. 1 spot with 42 percent year-over-year growth.
The brand’s placement is due in part to its recent acquisitions of Hibbett, City Gear, and Sports Addition, acquiring an additional 1,200 stores in 36 states.
Dublin-based fashion retailer Primark was in the No. 2 spot with sales up 30 percent.
Fast Retailing, the Japanese parent company of brands like Uniqlo, was No. 3 with 28 percent sales growth.
The apparel retailer has also been expanding its footprint, noted David Marcotte, senior vice president of global retail and technology for Kantar, the company that compiles the list.
He highlighted the chain’s use of smart technology and “the best hands-free instantaneous point of sale that I’ve seen.”
Japanese retailers Daiso Sangyo (No. 13) and Muji (No. 14) also made the list.
Oil titan Shell was in the No. 4 spot with sales up 27 percent following its purchase of Timewise stores from Landmark and Brewer from Brewer Oil.
Fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch was at No. 5 with sales up 15 percent as the mall staple undergoes a rebrand.
Related stories will be right here …
This year’s “Hot 25 Retailers” list highlights the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S., ranking them by increases in domestic sales between 2023 and 2024.
All retailers with global sales above $2 billion were eligible for the list.
British sports and fashion retailer JD Sports was in the No. 1 spot with 42 percent year-over-year growth.
The brand’s placement is due in part to its recent acquisitions of Hibbett, City Gear, and Sports Addition, acquiring an additional 1,200 stores in 36 states.
Dublin-based fashion retailer Primark was in the No. 2 spot with sales up 30 percent.
Fast Retailing, the Japanese parent company of brands like Uniqlo, was No. 3 with 28 percent sales growth.
The apparel retailer has also been expanding its footprint, noted David Marcotte, senior vice president of global retail and technology for Kantar, the company that compiles the list.
He highlighted the chain’s use of smart technology and “the best hands-free instantaneous point of sale that I’ve seen.”
Japanese retailers Daiso Sangyo (No. 13) and Muji (No. 14) also made the list.
Oil titan Shell was in the No. 4 spot with sales up 27 percent following its purchase of Timewise stores from Landmark and Brewer from Brewer Oil.
Fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch was at No. 5 with sales up 15 percent as the mall staple undergoes a rebrand.
One of the biggest surprises on the list, according to the NRF, is Amazon’s return to the top 25, landing at No. 11.
It’s the second-largest retailer, as per NRF’s 2025 “Top 100” list, but still grew at a strong enough pace (9 percent year-over-year) to make it back on the list.
While the list doesn’t include retailers who are primarily a marketplace, NRF noted that Amazon is more diverse since it has physical sales, marketplace services, and a growing retail footprint through Amazon stores and Whole Foods.
The marketplace model, said Marcotte, “is one I would expect more people to get into in the current environment.”
Several retailers on the list, like JD Sports and Shell, earned their spots via acquisitions, but those types of investments have slowed in 2025 due to market uncertainty and the reserving of cash that followed, said Marcotte.
“If that holds throughout the remainder of 2025, stores will have to find new ways to grow to make next year’s list,” said NRF.
While some companies acquired fellow retailers, others expanded their store counts, like Fast Retailing and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet (No. 21).
Notably, food retailers had a strong presence this year, with 60 percent of the top 10 retailers being food-related.
For the grocers on the list, each has found its own niche in the market, said NRF.
Sprouts Farmers Market (No. 8) shows “operational excellence,” said Marcotte, and has strong social media engagement with its shoppers.
“Everything shows up on social, whether you want to or not,” said Marcotte. “You can’t always have a proactive plan to get better engagement. It’s much more operational excellence that gets them into social media successfully.”
Family-owned Festival Foods (No. 24) in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania-based Wawa (No. 23) have expanded beyond their home turfs.
“Wawa has a very careful, well-thought-through strategic plan for expansion. If they’re opening in a market, they firmly believe they have something they can move,” said Marcotte.
See the full list here.
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