5. Lidl
Country: Germany
Locations: 10,000
Number of Employees: 315,000
In 1973, the first modern Lidl grocery store opened in Ludwigshafen, about 25 miles south of Frankfurt. A staff of three offered approximately 500 products. Expansion during the 90s saw branches outside of Germany and eventually all across Europe. By the 2000s, Lidl had established itself as a leading retailer in the UK.
With their recent expansion into the United States in 2017, Lidl now operates in 27 countries, with revenue of $28.2 billion. Around 90 per cent of the products Lidl offers in its supermarkets are of their own private label brands.
4. Carrefour
Country: France
Locations: 10,103
Number of Employees: 378,923
Headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, the Carrefour supermarket company was established by the Fournier, Badin and Defforey families in 1959. Carrefour (crossroads) became the largest retailer in Europe after a merger with the Promodès retail group in 1999. Paul-Louis Halley had founded and run Promodès until his death in 2003. The Halley family later divested their controlling share of the business in 2008.
Today, Carrefour operates stores in 30 countries and is largely credited with innovating the concept of the “hypermarket” (known as a Superstore in North America) in 1969. The company ranks 68 on the Fortune Global 500 list, with 2017 revenue of $91.2 billion.
3. ALDI
Country: Germany
Locations: 10,366
Number of Employees: 162,579
The discount supermarket chain was founded by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946 after they took over their mother’s store, which had been operating since 1919. The company split into two parts in 1960, later named ALDI Nord and ALDI Süd. The company began expanding internationally in 1967 with the acquisition of Austrian grocery chain Hofer. ALDI Nord would continue growth into the Netherlands in 1973.
Now with locations in 20 countries, ALDI boasts 40 million customer visits monthly, 90 per cent of their products exclusive ALDI brands and 2017 revenue of $34.8 billion. Well-known American supermarket chain Trader Joe’s operates as a subsidiary of ALDI Nord.
2. Walmart
Country: United States
Locations: 11,088
Number of Employees: 2,300,000
Ranked the largest company in the world based on revenue, Walmart began its operations in 1962, when Sam Walton opened the first store in Rogers, Arkansas. Expansion followed, and after 24 more locations, the company incorporated in 1969 as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Walmart became publicly traded in 1970, with its stock selling at $16.50 per share. In 1988, the first Sam’s supercentre would open in Missouri, and the company would go global in 1991 through a joint venture with Mexican retail company Cifra. Today, Walmart operates in 27 countries.
Walmart remains family-controlled, with Sam Walmart’s three children the largest shareholders. Walmart reported 2017 revenue of $500.3 billion under 55 different banners including its eCommerce business, which operates websites in 10 countries.
In 2018, the company changed its name to Walmart Inc.
1. SPAR
Country: Netherlands
Locations: 12,777
Number of Employees: 350,000
Adriaan van Well launched the first SPAR store in the Netherlands as DESPAR in 1932. DESPAR was an acronym for a slogan that van Well had created: Door Eendrachtig Samenwerken Profiteren Allen Regelmatig(all benefit from joint co-operation). In 1947, the company expanded internationally into Belgium through a group of wholesalers, eventually leading to the establishment of SPAR International in 1953. The next several decades saw SPAR expand into numerous international marketplaces over the world, including Russia, China, India, Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Headquartered in Amsterdam, SPAR is the world’s largest supermarket chain based on the number of locations, with 12,777 serving 13.5 million customers a day in 48 countries. The company’s 2017 revenue totalled $40 billion.
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