What Makes Them Hot

The Hot 100 Retailers section is the definitive annual ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing retail companies. Rankings are determined by increases in domestic sales between 2008 and 2009; all retail companies with domestic sales in excess of $300 million were eligible. Hot 100 retailers managed average year-over-year domestic sales growth of 8.5 percent—quite an accomplishment, given that the economy was very weak in the first half of 2009.

This year, the list was compiled for STORES by global research firm Kantar Retail, and there have been several substantive changes to the methodology. In addition to opening the field to privately-held companies, the primary criterion was changed from year-over-year increases in revenues to the change in domestic sales. This distinction is particularly important because many companies with international operations can be impacted – positively or negatively – by fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.

Also, in recognition of the fundamental difference in their business models – which primarily consists of franchising – restaurants have been broken out of the Hot 100 for the first time and given their own fastest-growing chart.

Kantar Retail (www.kantarretail.com) is a global retail insights and consulting business that works with clients to transform the behavior of consumers, shoppers and retailers. Kantar Retail serves the world’s leading retailers and manufacturers and has offices in 15 markets around the globe. By combining the resources of Cannondale, Glendinning, MVI and Retail Forward, the company solves client issues from tactical to strategic. Kantar Retail is headquartered in London and is part of the Kantar Group of WPP.