Multiple C-store Chains Ranked as 2017 Retailer Power Players

NATIONAL REPORT — Ecommerce may be making inroads with consumers, but brick-and-mortar retailing is still alive and convenience store chains are proof.

Eight c-store chains and retailers with a strong presence in the channel appear on STORES Magazine's annual list of the Top 100 retailers for 2017. The magazine is published by the National Retail Federation.

This annual Top 100 is a ranking of the industry’s largest companies according to sales. To view the full list, click here.

Taking posts are on the latest list are:

• 7-Eleven Inc. at No. 31
• Army & Air Force Exchange Services at No. 56
• Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. at No. 60
• Speedway LLC at No. 83

Also landing on this year's compilation are No. 2 The Kroger Co., which operates c-stores under the banners Loaf ‘N Jug, Turkey Hill Minit Market, Tom Thumb, Kwik Shop and Quik Stop.; and No. 49 Giant Eagle Inc., which operates the GetGo c-store chain.

Oil giants Shell Oil Co. (No. 90) and Exxon Mobil Corp. (No. 92) landed among the top retailers as well.

Even with the rise of online shopping, Amazon (No. 7) and QVC are the only retailers on the list that do the majority of business in the non-store realm, according to the magazine. That could change next years as Amazon is poised to acquire Whole Foods Market (No. 30) in a $13.7-billion deal.

By comparison, the top mass-market brick-and-mortar retailers rank among the Top 10: Wal-Mart Stores at No. 1, Costco Wholesale Corp. at No. 3, and Target Corp. at No. 8.