The 50 Top Department Stores in the World: A Global Perspective
by Ankita Tripathy Business 09 May 2024
What comes to your mind when thinking about classic retail shopping? Your favorite department store, right? Let’s Find Out About Top Department Stores in USA.
Department stores are one of the oldest retail shopping models. But they are equally relevant even today.
Commonly, Top Department Stores trade across various siloes.
You will commonly find beauty and fashion products in all department stores. But there are multiple other niches, too.
In-store retail is back with a bang now that we have moved on from the pandemic. Not only that. We see a rise in what we say: “retail with purpose.”
As a result, most Top Department Stores have a unique appeal. Some stores focus on sustainability. A few others create a unique sense of the place around. For example, Macy’s NY featured in more than 50 movies. Likewise, Galeries Lafayette in Paris is also famous for its Belle Époque architecture.
So, we see that the top department stores worldwide have some unique features. I researched all the famous department stores worldwide to find the 50 Top Department Stores.
Here, I have analyzed their unique business strategies. My focus is not restricted to US department stores only. I searched various growing and popular department stores from Europe, Asia and other regions too.
I also analyzed why you should visit there. Some of these are already popular stores. Some others are relatively new.
Top Department Stores and their Specialties
Here is a list of 50 Top Department Stores. The selection of the stores is based on selective parameters.
1. Macy’s New York
Macy’s is not only a celebrity store. It tops our Top Department Stores chart for other reasons, too. Their product assortment is quite vast and carefully sorted.
Macy’s also has a unique growth strategy. They are closing 150 less productive stores. However, they are expanding to 350 more strategic locations. They also aim to create small stores with selective products that match demographic preferences.
2. Nordstrom, US
Nordstrom is another trendy store. It houses over 300 brands. Most Nordstrom stores are essential landmarks.
In addition to its product profile, Nordstrom is famous for its store promotions. Due to their impeccable architecture and ambient design, people love shopping and clicking pictures here.
1,635,000 Instagram hashtags are tagging the brand. The Tiktok views of Nordstrom-related content are 110,000,000. Now you can see why it is one of the top department stores.
3. Selfridges, London
Selfridges is a powerhouse of high-street fashion. The brand is exponentially growing nowadays. That’s because they have worked on an experiential retail strategy.
Firstly, Selfridges London is located in a heritage building. This building was used as a WW2 base. Secondly, Selfridges also focuses on unique products. Recently, an accessories hall was introduced. David Chipperfield Architects designed it.
One of the key products of Selfridges is accessories. Very few other global stores have specialized in accessories.
Due to their specialty in accessories, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Co, and other brands target Selfridges to launch their line of accessories.
4. Harrods, UK
Harrods is one of the oldest department stores in the world. It opened in 1824. The main vision of the company is to create unique customer experiences. It houses a selective collection of premium and popular brands.
To create a premium customer experience, Harrods recruited 400 more customer service staff.
Harrods has the right mix of products and people. That’s why They made 52% more profit in 2023 than the previous year.
5. Tokyu Hands
Make a shift direct to South Asia. Maybe you haven’t heard of it. However, Tokyu is a very popular chain of department stores.
It is one of the top department stores because of its unique customer-pulling strategy. Their collection of home goods is unparalleled. As Selfridges excels in accessories, Tokyu is a specialist in home goods.
Other than 49 stores in Japan, they have stores in Taiwan and Singapore.
6. Bloomingdales, USA
Bloomingdales is another of the Top Department Stores in the world. It is also a heritage store that started in 1860.
Bloomingdales flaunts the best quality products at the best possible rates. So, their USP is to make luxury shopping available to all.
The company recently became popular among global customers for its designer bags.
Once, they were popular for specializing in multiple product niches. But now, they have a very specific popular product range, such as brown designer bags.
Bloomingdales recorded their highest-ever revenue of $2.8 billion in 2023.
7. Liberty, UK
It is a London-based department store. It is one of the Top Department Stores because of their:
- Directional store design
- Collaboration with influencers
- Curated products
Liberty is the most popular in the world for its beauty products sector. The vertical integration strategy recently defined their growth.
Unlike any of the already discussed brands, Liberty specializes in self-grown brands. One of them is Liberty fabric. Beauty Down (the unique beauty products range), the other popular vertical brand, is their cash cow.
8. Galeries Lafayette
No doubt, Galeries is famous for its artistic store appearance. People come from all over the world to witness their store’s design. However, Galeries is also a global specialist in ready-to-wear apparel and Haute Couture.
Most of the Galeries customers are premium shoppers. To attract premium customers from all corners of the world, they organize weekly fashion shows with celebrities.
9. John Lewis
Experts say John Lewis is one of the most transparent and ethical retail brands. The store entered the 50 Top Department Stores list because of its disruptive financial growth.
2023-24, John Lewis benched a profit of £56m. However, the same brand faced a heavy loss of £234m the previous year.
An overnight change in business strategy rewarded John Lewis. They made the brand more democratic. They collected feedback from all layers of the company. As a result, they could identify the issues and drive growth.
10. Saks, New York
Saks is one of the latest stores to combine online and online shopping experiences. After the pandemic, online commerce helped them to revive easily. However, Saks also revived its brick-and-mortar stores through a popular product profile and improved customer service.
Around 82% of Saks’ gross sales happen online. However, Saks targets the upper middle class, who love store shopping equally.
Experts say that Saks can still improve their product profile. Most luxury women’s products are available at Saks. However, their men’s range is pretty underdeveloped.
11. David Jones, Australia
It is one of the oldest department stores to exist. Based out of Australia, David Jones revolutionized global fashion in the 1950s. For evidence, David Jones launched The New Look Collection of Dior in Australia.
That’s the first time Dior showcased outside Paris.
Similarly, they made many brands truly global.
However, I included David Jones in the Top department stores for their unique and aggressive marketing strategy.
Co-branding is a common marketing approach. However, very few department stores do co-branding outside the industry. However, David Jones made advertising deals with Jaguar Land Rover, Regent Cruises, and Destination Canada. It is a bold move to make the brand international.
12. Harvey Nichols, UK
Harvey Nichols is another brand specializing in home decor. The other specialty item at Harvey Nichols is perfume. But that’s not all. They have a lucrative grooming parlor inside their store. Other in-store services include a handbag clinic for customized products, concierge services, and more.
Harvey Nichols is trying to create an experience economy like that of Selfridges. This year, Harvey Nichols also marked a 58% increase in sales. The brand is also popular as an ethical employer. They have the most skilled employees in any department.
Harvey Nichols is an uppish name in the list of Top Department Stores, as the brand will grow further shortly. They might also become one of the three Top Department Stores in the UK.
13. Kadewe
It is the biggest brick-and-mortar department store in Germany. The store specializes in ambient design. Unlike many other department stores, Kadewe takes food retail seriously.
The LeBuffet Food is a hotspot for shoppers and food lovers alike. In FY 2022-23, Kadewe registered an all-time greatest sale of €728m.
It has huge future growth potential like Harvey Nichols.
Want to know about other department stores that specialize in food retail? Read the article on the most popular food retail outlets in the US.
14. Lord and Taylor
Lord and Taylor is perhaps the only department store where you will find all the stylish and trendy high street brands from the US. They also specialize in interactive customer communication.
All customers get notifications of sales and special discount events on their mobiles. You can also choose if you want only fashion notifications, accessories, or homeware.
15. Corso Como
It is one of the unique department stores that is globally popular. Corso Como truly represents the retrospective culture of Milan.
Besides a playful ambiance, you will also find a unique collection there. That’s why it is there on the list of top department stores.
The main products of Corso Como are fashion, music, art, photography, and design.
Like most global brands, You will see a hidden courtyard cafe, a gallery space, and even a hotel inside the store. Corso Como is capturing the Asian market. You will already find the brand in Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore.
Customers love some of their vertical products, like lab-grown diamonds.
16. El Corte Ingles
It is a flagship department store in Madrid. The store started in 1890. It has the Legacy of opening as a tailoring store. Do you want to know about the Legacy of other old department stores? Read the article on the Legacy of 80’s department stores.
It is one of the few European department stores with an effective online promotions policy. Content related to El Corte has 16,900,000 views on TikTok. Other than clothing, accessories, homeware, and other products, they specialize in furniture retail.
17. Beymen, Turkey
It is the first and most popular luxury retail store in Turkey. Spread across 18 locations, Beymen sells a large collection of merchandise. Most notably, you will find more than 900 designer brands there.
However, Beymen’s international popularity is yet to grow.
Why should you visit Beymen? As a global customer, Beymen blended global fashion with local culture. If you taste continental fashion, visit them once, when you go to Turkey.
18. YME
It is a department store in Oslo. YME is different from many other popular department stores for a reason. You will get the ultimate collection of street fashion at YME. The mythological design theme complements the art and design product ranges.
You can find most streetwear brands under their roof. With a Y0Y revenue growth of 3.2%, YME is growing stably.
19. Le Bon Marche
This is a department store in Paris. Besides exceptional growth, the brand is famous for its unique business strategies. From gourmet groceries to developing products, you will get all of these in their stores only.
None of these are available online.
Therefore, Le Non is taking store shopping to a new level. However, many customers visit the store every day. Therefore, we can see that the urge to do physical shopping is back among customers.
It’s a great time for emerging stores like Le Bon YME or Tokyu to flourish.
20. Illum
This Copenhagen-based store focuses on the latest and trendy products only. Illum created a customer meeting hotspot. They also feature Hamley’s, one of the most popular on-shops in the UK.
Modern-day store designs and interfaces are different from those of the 80s stores. During that time, the concept of department stores started emerging. Back then, stores had less space and more products. The spacing and ambiance were basic, too. But customers loved them. If you want to know more about the ’80s department stores, read my other articles.
Read also: Legacy of 80’s department stores
21. Detsky Mir
It is a Russian department store. Detsky Mir is a specialist in children’s products and mainly toys. In the last five years, their business has grown steadily. In 2022, Detsky Mir recorded the highest revenue of 178 billion roubles.
Recently, Detsky Mir’s sales grew after they included a broad category of products. Besides toys, they now sell baby food, stationery, children’s clothing, and more.
22. Takashimaya
This Kyoto-based store opened in 1831. Now, it is an international chain of department stores. Due to its unique product mix, Takashimaya is one of the top department stores in Asia.
How are they different?
Japanese ceramics, kimonos, and souvenirs are rarely found in the Westen department stores. When Takashimaya expands to Europe and the US, there will be a large market for these products.
The theme-based food stores in Takashimaya sell savory deserts from Japan. Besides global foods, you can also visit the store for their unique Japanese dessert.
23. Bergdorf Goodmans
It is another 5th Avenue store in the list of top department stores. I like this store because celebrities and shopaholics shop there.
What do they sell?
You will mainly find designer fashion here. However, what’s unique about the store is its scientific design. The bridal section and accessory sections are easily accessible from their designer section.
Bergdorf has immense growth potential. However, they currently operate from two stores only.
24. La Rinascente
You will find a heavy mix and match of products across various niches here. The strong focus of La Rinascente on making their products unique is visible. Hardly any other famous department store sells authentic Tuscan goods like Terra Cotta. Such an attractive collection of wrought iron is also rare.
If you are a fan of unique homeware merchandise, visit here.
25. Isetan, Tokyo
Along with traditional Japanese products, Isetan specializes in Western designer brands. So, you will find a mix of various kinds of customers here.
Currently, Isetan has more than 30 million active customers. This reflects Isetan’s high brand loyalty.
Experts say that emerging brands with high brand portfolios grow better than others.
26. J C Penny
J C has been a popular department store since 1902. It is on the list of top department stores for its vast portfolio of 660 stores worldwide.
However, the company has large growth potential. Currently, most of the stores are in the US only. Still, they are 7th on the list of top department stores that earn the highest revenues in the world.
26. Walmart
Are you surprised to see Walmart down on this list? Well, Walmart’s omnichannel retail is now saturated. Walmart now has fewer unique differentiators.
However, it is still the biggest recruiter in the US. They also have more than 6000 stores around the world. However, Walmart is not growing organically now. It depends more on the growth incentives of acquired companies.
27. Costco
Costco is another example of a non-traditional department store. It is a mass retailer for members only. Costco is now not performing as per its potential.
I mean, you will only find Costco stores in North America. They are now available in a few Asian and Latin American locations.
The warehouse club retail model reduces Costco’s acceptance among retail shoppers.
28. Target
Target is a massive retailer. They have 1954 US stores already. However, Target mainly focuses on the expansion of its online business.
This list focuses more on brands that excel in an in-store retail economy. However, Target has certainly achieved unparalleled heights. Despite that, Target is very popular in the US and Canada near the US. Target did not focus on expanding more in Europe and Asia.
29. TJ Maxx
TJ Maxx is another big US-based retailer. They sell various products, from apparel to accessories and homeware to DIY. However, like Target, it also focuses on the US market.
There are 1316 Maxx stores in the US. In comparison, you will not find a TJ Maxx store easily anywhere else.
After the pandemic, they have grown in new markets. So, you may visit one of the stores outside the US in the future, too.
30. Ahold Delhaize
Ahold Delhaize is one of the unique companies on the list of top department stores. They are not only retail stores. They deal in wholesale also.
They are also the first successful merger company on this list.
Despite their unique business portfolio, the company is registered in the US. They also have a strong focus on growth in the US market only.
31. Aldi
Aldi is one of the disruptive chains of department stores. This central European brand is now easily visible in the US.
Aldi introduced the discount supermarket retail model on a large scale for the first time. Due to their unique strategy, there are already 12000 global stores of Aldi and counting.
Aldi sells its products in 18 countries. However, the store needs to develop warehouses and distribution facilities in most of these countries.
Like Target, Aldi is also focusing on the high growth of their online business division.
32. Kroger Co.
Kroger is a champion in low-cost grocery retail. Unlike conventional department stores, Kroger is mainly a grocery retail chain.
However, Kroger has 2719 stores now. There are many Kroger subsidiaries in the US. You will find that their business model is the same as Aldi’s.
They give reward points to customers. You can redeem their points in several sections.
People outside the US are getting to know about Kroger. I feel that this brand has immense global growth potential.
33. Albertsons
Kroger’s biggest competitor in the Northern US market is Albertsons. However, Albertsons’ brand portfolio is bigger.
Which one is your favorite?
Generally, you will hear more about Kroger than Albertsons. However, there are already 2253 Albertsons stores in the US.
34. De Bijenkorf
There are also many emerging department stores outside the US. If you are discussing the top global department stores, you must include these.
One such name is de Bijenkorf. It is an Amsterdam-based retailer with various subsidiaries.
Other than a vast category of products, this department store chain is also known for its crazy sale days.
Experts say cost leadership is the most profitable business strategy in department store retail.
You lower your product cost and give so many discount options that customers flock in automatically. As a result, you earn high profits based on the sales volume.
35. APROPOS
Apropos is the second most popular store in Copenhagen. What’s unique about this one?
They sell men’s products only. People know Apropos more as a concept store than as a department store. This is mainly because they sell grooming and designer lifestyle products for men.
36. Printemps
There are a large number of department stores which sell fashion mainly. However, you will get products from over 200 beauty brands under the same roof as Printemps.
The delectable cafe is a brownie point for shoppers here. Paris is already known for its gourmet cafes. So, this added dining section will attract global customers.
I feel that Printemps will emerge as a popular global brand.
37. NK, Stockholm
If there is an ultimate collection of Scandinavian brand labels, you will find that here. Many top department stores have dining hotspots. However, you will find a vast bookshop and a live tailor for your customized fit here.
38. Tsum, Kiev
This Ukraine-based store has attracted global customers recently. This is a single-store brand. However, the heritage decor and top-notch ambiance attract shoppers.
The growth potential of Tsum fell after the Ukraine war. However, we hope that the Ukrainian economy will recover soon.
39. Kitty Hawk
It is an emerging department store in the UK. Interior and product display designs are the USPs of many top department stores. However, the humorous window displays of KH are unique.
Kitty Hawk also has a unique portfolio of convertible interiors. There are very few popular department stores trading in this product area.
40. Lane Crawford
Most Western brands are expanding to the East, especially South Asia. But if I can name a truly global chain of department stores from Asia, that’s Lane Crowford.
They already have nine stores in Hong Kong and China. This brand strongly promotes local fashion.
41. Ludwig Beck
It is one of the top 5 German retail brands. They take pride in their vast product portfolio. However, they are only a single-store brand. However, it is difficult to find a department store selling Christmas trees and limousine service simultaneously.
42. Fred Segal
It is another American department store. Fashion is the main product category here. But why is Fred Segal visible on this list?
It’s because of their unique sense of local fashion. You will not find another store with typical Hollywood-style fashion. However, the store is mainly popular among the locals of Los Angeles.
43. Paris Gallery
One of the latest cosmopolitan hubs is Dubai. Paris Gallery is the most iconic department store over here. Their store has products of more than 450 brands. Most of these are global brands.
However, the Paris Gallery is looking to expand into the Western market. Hence, their strategy reduces the future scope.
44. Jelmoli
This Zurich-based department store houses selected premium global fashion brands. However, they have a vast collection of fashion items from the most popular sports brands, such as Nike, Puma, and Adidas.
However, Jelmoli mostly focuses on its online business. In 2022, their online revenues increased to USD 4.8 million.
45. Brown Thomas
This Irish brand is famous for selling fashion. However, it does not focus mainly on top brands.
The CREATE section of BT showcases designers from Ireland. You can meet the designers too. You can meet them and customize your fashion when you visit their stores.
The Irish Times stated that BT earned €253.6 million in 2022. With a steady revenue rate and unique product portfolio, BT has great growth prospects.
46. Coin Excelsior
It’s the best place in Rome to shop for high-street fashion. However, this brand is also famous for limited-edition French perfumes. I have not seen any stores that have in-store DJs. Last year, their revenue grew by 18%.
But this year’s revenue fell by 4.3%. I feel that the store needs mature leadership and a strong growth plan.
47. Fenwick, London
Most of you have not heard of it, right? But they sell gourmet and high-street fashion at much lower rates.
The store has selected fashion and accessories. But it’s a local favorite. There may also be small department stores in many of the US.
48. Shinsegae
The modern South Asian fashion hub is South Korea. This department store is the biggest in the country. I believe Shinsegae plays a great role in blending local with global fashion.
The current revenue of the brand is $4.83 billion. They have a high YoY growth rate.
49. Beijing SKP
China is a big e-commerce brand player. But SKP is a popular shopping destination for luxury fashion. There are 900 plus brands in the store. However, SKP has launched 20 global brands in the country, too.
I feel this brand will grow big in the Asian market.
50. Cave Shepherd
You are aware of the festive shopping culture in the Caribbean. Cave Shepherd is probably the biggest destination of this Carribean culture.
However, none of the top department stores offer duty-free lifestyle products. However, this business model is not the best fit for international expansion.
Wrapping Up……
Most of the top department stores have a strong presence in the local markets. Most of them understand what their customers want. However, I found that many new brands are emerging. Also, all these brands try to differentiate their market through their business.
Some of the brands offer easily customizable products. At the same time, other brands have successfully blended globally with local brands. Most of these brands are Asian department stores.
Despite growth of Asian department store, the US remains the biggest market for department stores. However, it is more important to focus on emerging brands. I find that the top department stores like Target and Walmart have saturated their market. However, brands like Aldi, David Jones, Harvey Nichols, and YME can disrupt the future market.
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