Quality products, reasonable prices and excellent customer service—these are the attributes that allow retailers to succeed. The competition is tough, with more than 1 million private retail locations in the U.S. in the third quarter of 2023, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
By the end of that year, annual U.S. retail sales totaled about $7.24 trillion, according to data intelligence platform Statista, which noted that the number was up $1.5 billion from the previous year. Americans love shopping, and they have plenty of places to do it, but with so many options for spending money, picking a less-than-optimal retailer can be an easy mistake to make.
To help retail customers find first-rate places to shop, Newsweek is partnering with Statista to release the third annual ranking of America's Best Retailers. More than 7,000 shoppers were surveyed for their opinions on retailers spanning 40 industry categories (such as apparel, electronics and supermarkets), resulting in a ranking that recognizes the 200 best places to make a purchase.
Survey participants were asked how likely they are to recommend a retailer and to give their thoughts on an outlet's prices, selection and atmosphere. Customer service and accessibility were also considered.
The retailers listed here stand above their unranked competitors for offering an outstanding shopping experience that resonates with customers.
Rank | Retailer | Score | Parent Category | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tommy Bahama | 92.48 | Clothing | Apparel |
| 2 | Anthropologie | 87 | Clothing | Apparel |
| 3 | Lands' End | 86.84 | Clothing | Apparel |
| 4 | American Eagle Outfitters | 86.19 | Clothing | Apparel |
| 5 | Zara | 85.73 | Clothing | Apparel |
| 6 | Madewell | 85.46 | Clothing | Apparel |
| 7 | Hot Topic | 85.45 | Clothing | Apparel |
| 8 | Old Navy | 84.38 | Clothing | Apparel |
| 9 | PacSun | 84.14 | Clothing | Apparel |
| 10 | Hollister | 84.02 | Clothing | Apparel |
| 1 | Nike | 87.49 | Clothing | Athletic Apparel |
| 2 | Puma | 87.19 | Clothing | Athletic Apparel |
| 3 | Asics | 86.8 | Clothing | Athletic Apparel |
| 4 | Under Armour | 86.64 | Clothing | Athletic Apparel |
| 5 | New Balance | 86.54 | Clothing | Athletic Apparel |
| 1 | Carter's | 87.03 | Clothing | Baby/Children's Clothing |
| 2 | OshKosh B'gosh | 85.83 | Clothing | Baby/Children's Clothing |
| 3 | Justice | 84.17 | Clothing | Baby/Children's Clothing |
| 4 | The Children's Place | 82.71 | Clothing | Baby/Children's Clothing |
| 5 | Gymboree | 82.68 | Clothing | Baby/Children's Clothing |
| 1 | Bella Bridesmaids | 87.45 | Clothing | Bridal Fashion |
| 2 | Vera Wang | 86.72 | Clothing | Bridal Fashion |
| 3 | David's Bridal | 81.25 | Clothing | Bridal Fashion |
| 1 | Von Maur | 91.88 | Clothing | Department Stores |
| 2 | Bloomingdale's | 89.4 | Clothing | Department Stores |
| 3 | Boscov's | 88.71 | Clothing | Department Stores |
| 4 | Nordstrom | 88.55 | Clothing | Department Stores |
| 5 | Saks Fifth Avenue | 88.13 | Clothing | Department Stores |
| 1 | Factory Connection | 95.66 | Clothing | Discount Clothing |
| 2 | Rainbow Shops | 84.17 | Clothing | Discount Clothing |
| 3 | Marshalls | 84.04 | Clothing | Discount Clothing |
| 4 | T.J.Maxx | 84 | Clothing | Discount Clothing |
| 5 | Nordstrom Rack | 83.49 | Clothing | Discount Clothing |
| 1 | BoxLunch | 92.17 | Clothing | Fashion Accessories |
| 2 | Brighton | 88.24 | Clothing | Fashion Accessories |
| 3 | francesca's | 86.4 | Clothing | Fashion Accessories |
| 4 | Charming Charlie | 86.39 | Clothing | Fashion Accessories |
| 5 | Spencer's | 82.02 | Clothing | Fashion Accessories |
| 1 | Boot Barn | 89.76 | Clothing | Footwear Retailers (multi-brand) |
| 2 | Fleet Feet | 89.24 | Clothing | Footwear Retailers (multi-brand) |
| 3 | Foot Locker | 85.05 | Clothing | Footwear Retailers (multi-brand) |
| 4 | Journeys | 84.47 | Clothing | Footwear Retailers (multi-brand) |
| 5 | The Athlete's Foot | 84.41 | Clothing | Footwear Retailers (multi-brand) |
| 1 | Golden Goose | 90.02 | Clothing | Footwear Retailers (single-brand) |
| 2 | UGG | 89.37 | Clothing | Footwear Retailers (single-brand) |
| 3 | Aldo | 88.88 | Clothing | Footwear Retailers (single-brand) |
| 4 | Vans | 88.29 | Clothing | Footwear Retailers (single-brand) |
| 5 | Sperry | 88.27 | Clothing | Footwear Retailers (single-brand) |
| 1 | Shane Co. | 92.2 | Clothing | Jewelry |
| 2 | Swarovski | 89.18 | Clothing | Jewelry |
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Methodology America's Best Retailers 2024
The America's Best Retailers 2024 rankings were identified from the results of an independent survey of more than 7,000 U.S. customers who have either made purchases, used services, or gathered information about products or services in the past three years. Customers evaluated several brands: in total over 140,000 evaluations were collected. The awarded brands each received on average 100 evaluations from customers.
The survey was conducted on retailers from 40 categories, providing results for a broad-spectrum of customer experiences in traditional retail.
For each category, only retailers present in at least two census regions have been included in the list (exceptions made for retailers with 600 or more locations).
In total, the survey took an average of 9-11 minutes to complete, and the field period ran from February to March 2024.
The final assessment and rankings were based on the Likelihood of Recommendation (50% of the final score) and five evaluation criteria (also 50% of the final score):
1. Products: measures the quality, price, range and variety of products offered in-store.
2. Customer Service: measures the friendliness, helpfulness, and availability of employees in-store.
3. Atmosphere: measures the general atmosphere, lighting/illumination, music and cleanliness of stores.
4. Accessibility: measures the parking availability, store hours and convenience of store location.
5. Shop Layout: measures the order that products are displayed, aisle size, product presentation, mannequins and store size.
The top 3-10 retailers based on category size receiving the highest scores in each category were awarded as America's Best Retailers 2024.
DISCLAIMER
The rankings are comprised exclusively of retailers that are eligible regarding the scope described in this document. A mention in the ranking is a positive recognition based on peer recommendations and publicly available data sources at the time. The ranking is the result of an elaborate process which, due to the interval of data collection and analysis, is a reflection of the last three calendar years. Furthermore, events following March 31, 2024, and/or pertaining to individual persons affiliated/associated to the retailers were not included in the metrics. As such, the results of this ranking should not be used as the sole source of information for future deliberations. The information provided in this ranking should be considered in conjunction with other available information about retailers or, if possible, accompanied by a visit to a retailer. The quality of retailers that are not included in the rankings is not disputed.
ABOUT STATISTA
Statista is a world leader in the creation of company, brand, and product rankings, based on comprehensive market research and data analysis. With a team of over 100 expert analysts and partnerships with more than 50 media publications across all continents, Statista R creates transparency for consumers and helps companies build trust and recognition across a plethora of industries and product categories. is a global data and business intelligence platform with an extensive collection of statistics, reports and insights on more than 80,000 topics from 22,500 sources in 170 industries. Its Ranking division (Statista R) - dedicated to the creation of company, brand, and product rankings and lists - is Newsweek's longtime research and data partner. With a team of more than 100 analysts, Statista R provides comprehensive market research and data analysis, proprietary surveys, and access to thousands of consumers.
Please visit r.statista.com for further information about Statista R and our rankings.