Remember the old fable about the tortoise and the hare? Some of the Hot 25 return to the list year after year thanks in no small part to a commitment to expanding locations and to slowly grinding out growth. That, says David Marcotte, senior vice president of global retail and technology for Kantar, is enough to keep them returning to the list of Hot 25 Retailers with some frequency.
NRF's Hot 25 Retailers ranks the nation’s fastest-growing retail companies.
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“All of them, as part of their basic business philosophy, have a focus on growth, more locations, more face time with shoppers,” Marcotte says.
Total Wine & More, which came in at No. 18 on the list, “has a large number of programs, frequent shoppers and private labels, which are better supported by more locations.”
Total Wine opened 14 stores in 2024 and anticipates opening about that many annually through the end of the decade.
Harbor Freight Tools is another retailer that makes a frequent appearance on the Hot 25, thanks to the growth of store locations. “They have a very opportunistic approach to real estate,” Marcotte said; the company puts stores where they think they fit. “They offer very good bargains and a selection of a limited number of items.”
It was enough to land Harbor Freight at No. 19 on the Hot 25. In 2024, the company opened two to three new stores per week, and early in the year surpassed the 1,500-location mark.
Both of those retailers have proven that the way to the Hot 25 isn’t necessarily flashy, but just slow and steady growth.
