Grocers Rank Among Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies
Publix Super Markets has once again been named one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune magazine, ranking No. 2 in the food and drug stores industry category – the highest of any mainstream supermarket operator. The Lakeland, Fla.-based grocer also came in 45th in the publication’s top 50 all-star ranking.
Last year, Publix came in first in the industry ranking; this year, it swapped places with Deerfield, Ill.-based drug store chain Walgreens Boots Alliance. Rounding out the top five food and drug stores were Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market, at No. 3; Cincinnati-based Kroger, at No. 4; and Zaandam, Netherlands-based Royal Ahold Delhaize, parent company of Ahold Delhaize USA, at No. 5.
Other food retailers to make the all-star list were Seattle-based Amazon, parent company of Whole Foods Market (No.2), Issaquah, Wash.-based Costco (No. 12), Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart (No. 25), Minneapolis-based Target (No. 32) and Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba (No. 34). Target, Walmart and Costco also made the general merchandisers industry rankings, coming in at Nos. 1, 3 and 4, respectively.
Fortune's list is determined based on ratings calculated from thousands of businesspeople within each industry, with respondents to the survey asked to evaluate companies according to nine criteria ranging from investment value to social responsibility.
On Progressive Grocer’s 2018 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States, Walmart was No. 1, Kroger was No. 2, Ahold Delhaize USA was No. 4, Publix was No. 5, Amazon/Whole Foods was No. 8, Target was No. 13 and Sprouts was No. 22.
