Retailing & Chain Stores Market Research

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Retailing & Chain Stores OVERVIEW

The retail industry is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in its history.  Driven by technology, shifting consumer expectations and intense competition, retailers are reinventing how they sell, fulfill orders, and engage customers.  Several dominant trends are shaping the future of retail across sectors and geographies.
1.    Ecommerce and Omnichannel Integration
Ecommerce continues to erode the dominance of traditional storefront retailing, forcing retailers to integrate “bricks and clicks.”  Consumers increasingly browse online, compare prices in-store and expect flexible fulfillment options such as curbside pickup, same-day delivery, and easy returns.  Retailers like Walmart, Target and Macy’s now use stores as local fulfillment hubs, blending physical locations with digital convenience.  This omnichannel approach is no longer optional, it is essential for survival.
2.    Automation, AI, and Advanced Retail Technologies
Artificial intelligence and automation are transforming nearly every aspect of retail operations.  AI enables personalized marketing, dynamic pricing, demand forecasting and automated customer service through chatbots and virtual assistants.  Robotics and micro-fulfillment centers are improving speed and efficiency in ecommerce logistics, while cashier-less checkout, smart carts, RFID tracking and digital receipts enhance in-store experiences.  These technologies reduce costs, minimize inventory errors and improve customer satisfaction.
3.    Growth of Private-Label and Value-Focused Retailing
Private-label brands are gaining market share as consumers seek value without sacrificing quality.  Retailers benefit from higher margins and stronger customer loyalty, while shoppers embrace store brands for everyday essentials.  Discount-oriented retailers such as ALDI, Costco and Walmart have proven that limited assortments, aggressive pricing, and operational efficiency can outperform traditional merchandising models.
4.    Direct-to-Consumer and Non-Store Selling Models
Manufacturers and designers increasingly bypass traditional retailers by selling directly to consumers online.  This direct-to-consumer (DTC) model offers better pricing transparency, tighter control over branding and richer customer data.  At the same time, non-store retailing, including livestream shopping, digital catalogs and social commerce, is expanding rapidly, especially as AI enhances targeting and personalization.
5.    Experiential Retail and Store Reinvention
As ecommerce absorbs routine purchases, physical stores are evolving into experience-driven destinations.  Showcase stores, entertainment-based retailing, beauty superstores and technology-enhanced fitting rooms encourage shoppers to spend more time in-store.  Apple, Ulta, Sephora and Bass Pro Shops exemplify how immersive experiences can differentiate brick-and-mortar retail from online competitors.
6.    Sustainability, Demographics, and Global Expansion
Retailers are responding to socially conscious consumers by emphasizing sustainability, ethical sourcing and long-term value.  At the same time, demographic shifts, such as demand for inclusive sizing and the impact of weight-loss drugs, are reshaping apparel strategies.  Globally, emerging markets like China and India remain long-term growth targets, even as ecommerce reduces the need for extensive physical store networks.
The modern retail landscape is defined by speed, technology and customer-centric innovation.  Retailers that successfully integrate digital and physical channels, invest in automation, deliver value and create compelling experiences will be best positioned to thrive in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.
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Top Companies Profiled

The following is a partial listing for this industry. As a subscriber, you will have access to the leading companies and top growth companies. This includes publicly-held, private, subsidiary and joint venture companies, on a global basis as well as in the U.S.


Hundreds of Top Companies Profiled, Including:

PLUNKETT PROVIDES UNIQUE ANALYSIS OF THE FOLLOWING TRENDS THAT ARE DRIVING THIS INDUSTRY:

Key Findings:

A complete market research report, including forecasts and market estimates, technologies analysis and developments at innovative firms within the Retail Industry. Gain vital insights that can help shape strategy for business development, product development and investments.

Key Features:

  • Business trends analysis
  • In-depth industry overview
  • Technology trends analysis
  • Forecasts
  • Spending, investment, and consumption discussions
  • In-depth industry statistics and metrics
  • Industry employment numbers

Additional Key Features Include:

Industry Glossary

Industry Contacts list, including Professional Societies and Industry Associations

Profiles of industry-leading companies

  • U.S. and Global Firms
  • Publicly held, Private and Subsidiaries
  • Executive Contacts
  • Revenues

  • For Public Companies: Detailed Financial Summaries

  • Statistical Tables

Key Questions Answered Include:

  • How is the industry evolving?
  • How is the industry being shaped by new technologies?
  • How is demand growing in emerging markets and mature economies?
  • What is the size of the market now and in the future?
  • What are the financial results of the leading companies?
  • What are the names and titles of top executives?
  • What are the top companies and what are their revenues?

This feature-rich report covers competitive intelligence, market research and business analysis—everything you need to know about the Retail Industry.

Plunkett Research Provides Unique Analysis of the Following Major Trends Affecting the Retail Industry

  1. Major Trends Affecting the Retail Industry

  2. Introduction to the Retail Industry

  3. Walmart Still Leads the Retail Industry, but Invests Heavily in Web Presence to Battle Amazon

  4. ALDI Scores Big Market Share in the U.S., UK and Europe with its Discount Supermarkets and Aggressive Investment/Walmart Dominates Grocery Retailing

  5. Department Stores Grow Online Sales/ Modernize Retail Approach

  6. Private Label Brands Grow in Share of Total Store Sales

  7. Diverse Selling Techniques Boost Direct Marketers and Non-Store Sales

  8. Apple Sets the Bar for Showcase Stores and Super-Merchandisers

  9. Bricks, Clicks and Catalogs Create Synergies While Online Sales Growth Surges

  10. AI Impacts Retail/Creates Efficiencies in Inventory and Operations

  11. Designers and Manufacturers Bypass the Middleman with Direct-to-Consumer Online Business Models

  12. Retail Technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Advance for Store Checkout and Restaurant Orders

  13. Robotics in Retailing and Ecommerce Fulfillment

  14. RFID Drives Inventory Management Evolution

  15. Digital Wallets Gain Payments Market Share

  16. Self-Service Apparel Fitting Technologies Grow

  17. Retailers Look for Long-Term Growth in Emerging Markets, Including China and India

  18. Malls and Shopping Centers Adapt to New Technologies and Ecommerce

  19. Entertainment-Based Retailing, including Power Towns

  20. Malls Remodel & Update Strategies to Boost Sales and Attract Shoppers

  21. Fast Fashion: Designers and Retailers Speed Up

  22. LOHAS-Socially Conscious Consumers Create Challenges and Opportunities for Advertisers and Marketers

  23. Plus-Size and Vanity Sizing Target Overweight Consumers

  24. Demand for Home Grocery Delivery Service Such as Instacart and Amazon Fresh Soars

  25. Super Beauty Stores Combine Shopping with Personal Care Services

  26. Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality and 3-D Technologies Create Opportunities for the Tech Industry/Immersion Games to Grow

  27. How to Interpret Reports of Retail Sales

Plunkett Research Provides In-Depth Tables for the Following Retail Industry Statistics

  1. U.S. Retail Industry Statistics and Market Size Overview

  2. Annual Consumer Price Index, 1920-2025, U.S.

  3. Exports, General Imports & Trade Balance in Goods, U.S.: 1990-2024

  4. Total U.S. Retail Sales & Annual Percent Change: 1993 - July 2025

  5. U.S. Retail Trade Corporation Statistics, 2nd Quarter 2025

  6. Total Annual Sales of Merchant Wholesalers, U.S.: 2019-2024

  7. Retail & Food Services Sales by Kind of Business, U.S.: 2019-2024

  8. Total U.S. Disposable Income, Expenditures & Gross Domestic & National Product Per Capita: Selected Years, 1960-2024

  9. Average Annual Expenditures of All Consumer Households: 2018-2023, U.S.

  10. Distribution of Total U.S. Annual Household Expenditures, by Major Category: 2023

  11. Resident Population Estimates by Age, U.S.: 2021-2024

  12. Employment in the Retail Industry, U.S.: 2018-July 2025

  13. Estimated Quarterly U.S. Retail and Ecommerce Sales: 1st Quarter 2016-2nd Quarter 2025

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eBook or Book:

This industry onlyPublication date: Dec 2025
ISBN-13: 978-1-64788-587-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-64788-095-8
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