Top 10 Private Retailers
There are many privately held companies in the retail industry, which we rarely get to analyze or gain insight to. However, thanks to Forbes' Largest Private Companies list, which reports the top 100 privately held companies in the U.S. based on revenues, we can now gain a bit of insight into the world of private retailers.
Interestingly, several on the list are companies that were formerly publicly held, such as Toys 'R' Us. What do we notice first about this list? One thing is for certain, this list is dominated by fast-moving consumer goods retailers, including Publix, Love's Travel Stops, Cumberland Farms, Meijer and more. In fact, Toys 'R' Us is the only retailer to make the list. Other top retailers that just missed the list include: Menard (43 with $7.9B), Neiman Marcus (82 with $4.65B), Levi Strauss & Co. (83 with $4.61B), Michaels Stores (91 with $4.41B) and Burlington Coat Factory (99 with $4.13B).
Other fast-moving consumer goods companies that just missed the top 10 include: RaceTrac Petroleum (39 with $9.06B), Wawa (40 with $9.02B), Hy-Vee (46 with $7.6B), Wegmans Food Markets (52 with $6.6B), A&P (56 with $6.26B), Sheetz (58 with $6.1B), WinCo Foods (66 with $5.36B), and Save Mart Supermarkets (87 with $4.6B).
What follows is a top 10 ranking of the U.S. retailers that made the Forbes Privately Held Companies list. They are listed in order from one to 10, by their Forbes rank. Also included is the revenue and industry segment of each company to provide a scope of its overall operations and performance. Forbes decides the rankings for the biggest private companies based on revenue and number of employees.
Top 10 Biggest Privately Held Retailers:
Interestingly, several on the list are companies that were formerly publicly held, such as Toys 'R' Us. What do we notice first about this list? One thing is for certain, this list is dominated by fast-moving consumer goods retailers, including Publix, Love's Travel Stops, Cumberland Farms, Meijer and more. In fact, Toys 'R' Us is the only retailer to make the list. Other top retailers that just missed the list include: Menard (43 with $7.9B), Neiman Marcus (82 with $4.65B), Levi Strauss & Co. (83 with $4.61B), Michaels Stores (91 with $4.41B) and Burlington Coat Factory (99 with $4.13B).
Other fast-moving consumer goods companies that just missed the top 10 include: RaceTrac Petroleum (39 with $9.06B), Wawa (40 with $9.02B), Hy-Vee (46 with $7.6B), Wegmans Food Markets (52 with $6.6B), A&P (56 with $6.26B), Sheetz (58 with $6.1B), WinCo Foods (66 with $5.36B), and Save Mart Supermarkets (87 with $4.6B).
What follows is a top 10 ranking of the U.S. retailers that made the Forbes Privately Held Companies list. They are listed in order from one to 10, by their Forbes rank. Also included is the revenue and industry segment of each company to provide a scope of its overall operations and performance. Forbes decides the rankings for the biggest private companies based on revenue and number of employees.
Top 10 Biggest Privately Held Retailers:
| Rank | Retailer | Revenue | Industry |
| 7 | Pilot Flying J | $30.43B | Convenience Stores/Gas Station |
| 8 | Publix Super Markets | $27.48B | Food Markets |
| 9 |
Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores |
$26.09B | Convenience Stores/Gas Station |
| 14 | HE Butt Grocery | $20B | Food Markets |
| 18 | Cumberland Farms | $15B | Convenience Stores/Gas Station |
| 19 | Meijer | $15B | Food Markets |
| 21 | Toys 'R' Us | $13.54B | Retail |
| 30 | QuikTrip | $11.21B | Convenience Stores/Gas Station |
| 33 | Giant Eagle | $9.9B | Food Markets |
| 35 | BI-LO Holding | $9.74B | Food Markets |