Top 250 Newcomers

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The list of Top 250 Global Powers did not change as much in 2009 as it has in previous years. Only 13 companies joined the ranks in 2009, nine of them making the list for the first time. As might be expected, the newcomers enjoyed strong growth: Composite sales were a robust 8.2 percent, compared with 1.2 percent for the Top 250 overall, and six of these companies were among the 50 fastest-growing retailers on the Top 250 list.

While top-line performance generally determines who does and doesn’t make the Top 250, currency fluctuations had a significant impact on the results in 2009. A favorable exchange rate helped three Japanese companies make it into the Top 250, while Debenhams and Arcadia Group dropped off the list strictly as a result of the weak British pound. Still, most displaced retailers dropped off due to deteriorating sales. Other exceptions include Chilean hypermarket operator Distribución y Servicio (D&S), which was acquired by Wal-Mart, and German retail group Arcandor, which filed for insolvency, unable to adapt quickly enough to the deteriorating economic environment.