Top 10 Biggest Retail Companies in the World 2025

Amazon's retail segment generates $434 billion annually, with its third-party marketplace now accounting for 60%+ of units sold on the platform. This revenue is nearly double that of Costco, the #2 on this list, while its fulfillment network of 1,100+ warehouses outpaces JD.com's logistics reach by delivering to 130+ countries. Founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 in Seattle, Amazon's private label brands, Amazon Basics, and Whole Foods acquisition (2017, $13.7B) make it a formidable physical retailer alongside its digital dominance.

Costco Wholesale generated $238 billion in revenue in fiscal 2024, an astonishing figure for a membership-only warehouse retailer with just 875 locations globally. This revenue is 15% less than Amazon's retail segment but shows higher efficiency per store, as Costco averages $272 million per location compared to Amazon's broader network. Founded in 1983 in Seattle, Costco's membership model (32 million households, 92%+ renewal rates) provides guaranteed revenue. Its $4.99 rotisserie chicken and $1.50 hot dog combo are loss leaders that drive member loyalty — the hot dog price has not changed since 1985.

Alibaba Group operates the world's largest e-commerce ecosystem through Taobao, Tmall, and AliExpress, processing $1.26 trillion in gross merchandise volume (GMV) annually. This GMV is 8% higher than Amazon's total retail revenue, and its Singles' Day shopping festival alone generated $98 billion in GMV in 2023 — making it the largest shopping event in history by a wide margin, outperforming JD.com's entire annual revenue by $37 billion. Founded by Jack Ma in Hangzhou, China in 1999, Alibaba connects millions of sellers to over 1 billion active buyers globally.

JD.com (Jingdong) is China's second-largest e-commerce platform with $135 billion in annual revenue, differentiating through its owned logistics network of 70,000+ delivery personnel and same/next-day delivery to 99% of China's population. While Alibaba's GMV dwarfs JD.com's revenue by 9.3 times, JD.com's B2C model emphasizes genuine products and customer service, making it preferred for electronics, appliances, and luxury goods. Founded by Richard Liu in Beijing in 1998, JD.com operates 40% fewer warehouses than Amazon but achieves near-universal domestic coverage.

Kroger is the largest supermarket chain in the United States with $150 billion in annual revenue across 2,700+ stores under banners including Ralphs, Fred Meyer, and Harris Teeter. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Barney Kroger, its merger attempt with Albertsons (which would have created a $200B retail giant) was blocked by the FTC in 2024 on antitrust grounds. Despite this, its revenue is 67% higher than Carrefour's $90 billion, and its loyalty program drives 60% of transactions through personalized offers.

Carrefour is Europe's largest retailer with $90 billion in annual revenue operating 12,000+ stores across 30 countries. The French chain, founded in 1958 in Annecy, invented the hypermarket format and remains the market leader in France, Belgium, Spain, and Brazil. Its strategic pivot toward e-commerce and discount formats has helped it navigate intense competition from discounters like Lidl and Aldi, yet its revenue is 38% lower than Kroger's $150 billion. Even so, Carrefour's e-commerce sales grew 25% in 2023, outpacing the average European grocer's growth of 12%.

Germany's Schwarz Group is the world's largest retailer by number of countries, operating Lidl (12,000+ stores in 31 countries) and Kaufland (1,600+ stores in 8 countries) with combined revenue of $144 billion in 2023. Privately held and headquartered in Neckarsulm, Germany, Lidl's private-label model and relentless store-count expansion have disrupted grocery retail across Europe and the Americas. Its revenue surpasses Tesco's by 95%, and its store count exceeds Carrefour's by 20% in terms of international locations.

Tesco is the UK's largest supermarket with $74 billion in annual revenue across 4,000+ stores in the UK and Ireland. Founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen in London, Tesco holds a 27% share of the UK grocery market. Its Clubcard loyalty program (21 million members) is one of the most sophisticated retail data platforms in the world, generating insights that power targeted promotions and supplier negotiations. However, its revenue is roughly half of Schwarz Group's $144 billion, and its market share in the UK is 10% higher than the average large grocer in comparable markets.

Target generated $110 billion in fiscal 2024 revenue across 1,950+ US stores, positioning itself as the "cheap chic" alternative to Walmart through designer collaborations and curated private-label brands. This revenue profile is 80% higher than the typical regional department store, and its same-day fulfillment services (Order Pickup, Drive Up, Shipt) handle 50% of its digital orders—a share that outperforms #2 Walmart's comparable service adoption by 15 percentage points. Founded in Minneapolis in 1902 (as Dayton's), Target's stores remain both shopping destinations and fulfillment hubs.