Apple , H&M , Zara , Boots , Ikea and Nike have been named Elite multichannel retailers in Europe in the 2017 IREU Top500, now available online.
Apple, H&M and Zara retain their places from last year, and are now joined by Boots, Ikea and Nike. Whether retaining or gaining places in the vanguard of the Top500, all have shown significant progress in InternetRetailing research that reflects a fast-changing and developing retail environment across the 32 countries of the European Economic Area plus Switzerland.
Ian Jindal, editor-in-chief at InternetRetailing, said: “It’s notable that the top category is now dominated by global brands that have created and exported their own distinctive formulas for retailing. All have strong roots in stores and enjoy close relationships with customers who often act as brand advocates. All have innovated to develop high-quality products that are relevant to their customers.
“As a result, all have created a heritage that means we can’t now imagine modern urban life without these major players. They have experimented with, and embraced, changing retail formats as well as the move to digital shopping. At the same time, they have continued to focus on staying both excellent and consistent across their operations.
“The theme that we’re detecting most strongly across this group of Elite retailers is that of synthesis. These retailers are bringing the customer, the product and the operations that underpin their businesses together with the values of innovation, invention and integrity.”
But while the top category of the research is highly international, the Top25 are mostly British. Jindal says this has to do in part with the fact that this research started with the IRUK Top500, which analyses the performance of British brands in an exercise that goes beyond which retailer has the highest turnover or ecommerce revenues. That research has since expanded to the larger market of Europe as researchers look to learn which best-practice approaches are now widely used, and which are still emerging in a fast-evolving retail market.
The report studies the performance of retailers across Europe in the context of the key six InternetRetailing Performance Dimensions: Strategy & Innovation, Mobile & Cross-channel, The Customer, Merchandising, Operations & Logistics, and Brand Engagement.
Click here to explore the report further, and to download it.
