Updated February 11, 2012
>> UPDATE: Click here for the current 2011 Largest European Retailers Complete List >>
When taken as a whole, the retail companies headquartered in the countries on the continent of Europe comprise a dominant presence in global retailing. Because of the size of the global Wal-Mart organization, the U.S. retail industry is the largest in terms of total revenue. But in many ways, European retailing rivals U.S. retailing around the world.
While Wal-Mart is the largest global retailer by far in terms of revenue, the other four retail companies in the top five are all based in Europe, according to the 2010 Global Powers of Retailing report, which is published each year by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and STORES Magazine. Of the top ten retail companies in the world, five of them are from the U.S. and the other five are located in Europe. Out of the 250 retail companies that are ranked on the latest Global Powers of Retailing 82 of them are U.S. retail industry companies, and 86 of them are European retail companies. European retailing has clearly established its presence on the global retailing stage.
What follows is the complete list of European retailers ranked on the 2010 Global Powers of Retailing list. The number in the left column is the global ranking number assigned to the company, based on its revenue figures, compared to other top retail organizations worldwide.
Retail Companies Based in Europe Ranked Among the 250 Largest Retailers In the World in 2010:
2 Carrefour
France
Hypermarket/Supercenter/Superstore
>> See complete list of largest retail companies in France >>
3 Metro AG
Germany
Cash & Carry/Warehouse Club
>> See complete list of largest retail companies in Germany >>
4 Tesco plc
U.K.
Hypermarket/Supercenter/Superstore
>> See complete list of largest retail companies in the U.K. >>
5 Schwarz Untemehmens Treuhand KG
Germany
Discount Store
9 Aldi GmbH & Company oHG
Germany
Discount Store
11 Rewe-Zentral AG
Germany
Supermarket
13 Groupe Auchan S.A.
France
Hypermarket/Supercenter/Superstore
18 Contres Distributeurs E. Leclerc
France
Hypermarket/Supercenter/Superstore
19 Edeka Zentrale AG & Company KG
Germany
Supermarket
22 ITM Developpement International (intermarche)
France
Supermarket
24 Casino Guichard-Pernachon S.A.
France
Hypermarket/Supercenter/Superstore
25 Koninklijke Ahold N.V.
Netherlands
Supermarket
>> See complete list of largest retail companies in the Netherlands >>
30 The IKEA Group
Sweden
Other Specialty
>> See complete list of largest retail companies in Sweden >>
32 WM Morrison Supermarkets plc
U.K.
Supermarket
33 Delhaize Group
Belgium
Supermarket
>> See complete list of largest retail companies in Belgium >>
34 Systeme U, Centrale Nationale
France
Supermarket
38 Mercadona, S.A.
Spain Supermarket
>> See complete list of largest retail companies in Spain >>
39 PPR S.A.
France
Specialty Stores
40 Migros-Genossenschafts Bund
Switzerland
Supermarket
>> See complete list of largest retail companies in Switzerland >>
41 El Corte Ingles, S.A.
Spain
Department Store
46 Coop Italia
Italy
Supermarket
>> See complete list of largest retail companies in Italy >>
47 Kingfisher plc
U.K.
Home Improvement
49 Louis Delhaize S.A.
Belgium
Hypermarket/Supercenter/Superstore
51 Marks & Spencer Group
U.K.
Department Store
52 Coop Group
Switzerland
Supermarket
54 Inditex S.A.
Spain
Apparel/Footwear Specialty
58 Tengelmann Warehandelsgesellschaft KG
Germany
Home Improvement
60 H&M Hennes & Maruitz AB
Sweden
Apparel-Footwear Specialty
61 ICA AB
Sweden
Supermarket
64 LFMH Moet Hennessy-Louis Vuitton
France
Specialty Stores
65 DSG International plc
U.K.
Electronics Specialty
66 Groupe Adeo
France
Home Improvement
68 S Group
Finland
Supermarket
69 Conad Consorzio Nazionale, Dettaglianti Soc. Coop. a.r.l.
Italy
Supermarket
70 Otto (GmbH & Co KG)
Germany
Non-Store
71 Arcandor AG
Germany
Non-Store
72 SPAR Osterreischische
Austria
Supermarket
>> See complete list of largest retail companies in Austria >>
73 Alliance Boots GmbH
U.K.
Drug Store/Pharmacy
74 Kesko Corp.
Finland
Home Improvement
76 Grupo Eroski
Spain
Supermarket
78 Dansk Supermarked A/S
Denmark
Discount Store
79 John Lewis Partnership plc
U.K.
Supermarket
83 Co-operative Group Ltd.
U.K.
Supermarket
86 Home Retail Group plc
U.K.
Specialty Stores
88 Reitangruppen AS
Norway
Discount Stores
89 Fa. Anton Schlecker
Germany
Drug Store/Pharmacy
94 Jeronimo Martins, SGPS S.A.
Portugal
Discount Store
>> See complete list of largest retail companies in Portugal >>
99 C&A Europe
Belgium/Germany
Apparel/Footwear Specialty
>> More European Largest Retail Companies Rankings >>
