Discounters, dollar stores stand out in PG 100

Walmart, Amazon (excluding Whole Foods), Kroger, Walgreens and Costco rounded out the top five rated retailers of sister publication Progressive Grocer’s long-running ranking The PG 100.

The list, however, has evolved a bit this year, focusing less on just traditional grocers and looking beyond just the U.S.

The list this year goes by the title, “The PG 100: North America’s Top Retailers of Food and Consumables.”

Notable movement from a store brand perspective includes Lidl making its debut at No. 95. As it expands in the United States in 2020, it could look to climb higher. Aldi continued to climb the list landing at No. 26, just ahead of BJ’s Wholesale Club and Trader Joe’s (No. 28). Aldi’s sales, per the list, show a 6.6% year-over-year gain, and Trader Joe’s saw a 4.14% gain. Aldi’s charge toward 2,000 stores is an impressive number, as is the fact Trader Joe’s isn’t that far behind in overall sales with just 503 stores with small footprints.

It’s hard not to look at the list and also marvel at Dollar General, a retailer with nearly 16,300 locations and counting. Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Big Lots also are pushing in on the traditional grocery world with its value model, and Dollar General has already said it's ramping up private label this year.

For more analysis on the trends, rankings and movers and shakers, read the full three-part series here at Progressive Grocer.