Top 10 Department Stores in the USA
Retail sales in the United States of America totaled $7.2 trillion in 2023, a 2.3% increase from the previous year’s numbers. If you’re a small business whose target audience is in the USA, knowing where they shop helps you better understand their purchase habits and allows you to craft a more effective sales and marketing strategy.
In terms of total revenue, Walmart and Amazon are currently the largest retailers in the USA. But what about department stores? Here’s a look at the top 10 department stores in the USA in terms of popularity.
Top 10 department stores in the USA (Q4 2023)
- Costco: 69%
- Dollar Tree: 68%
- Walmart: 65%
- Macy's: 64%
- Kohl's: 64%
- Target: 64%
- Sam's Club: 63%
- Big Lots: 62%
- Marshalls: 62%
- T.J. Maxx: 62%
1. Costco: 69%
According to a recent survey, as of Q4 2023, Costco leads the chart of the top 10 department stores in the USA. The study ranks the stores by their popularity, determined by the percentage of consumers that view them favorably.
Results from the study show that 69% of US consumers say they like Costco. The data also shows that Costco is more popular among millennials—73% of millennial shoppers say they like Costco, compared to 69% of boomers. Incidentally, Costco also ranks among the country’s largest retailers, generating revenues of over $160 billion in 2022.
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2. Dollar Tree: 68%
Second on the list of the top 10 department stores in the USA is Dollar Tree, which operates over 15,000 discount variety stores across the country. With its widespread presence, the Fortune 500 company is known for its exceptional value.
3. Walmart: 65%
Dollar Tree is followed by Walmart, which 65% of consumers say they like. Walmart is also among the top retail and ecommerce companies worldwide. Interestingly, Walmart is the ninth-most-popular department store among women and the second-most-popular among men.
4. Macy's, Kohl’s, Target: 64%
In joint fourth place on this ranking of the top US department stores are Macy’s, Kohl’s, and Target, each with a popularity rating of 64%, just one percentage point less than Walmart.
It’s worth noting that while Macy’s is the fourth-most-popular departmental store among boomers, it does not even feature in millennials’ top 10 list. Meanwhile, Target is millennial shoppers’ most popular department store, with a popularity rating of 73%. But with a rating of 55% among boomers, it ranks outside of the top 10.
7. Sam's Club: 63%
Sam’s Club, a membership-only retail chain headquartered in Arizona, is the seventh-most-popular US department store with a rating of 63%. Owned and operated by Walmart, the chain was founded in 1983 and named after Walmart’s founder.
8. Big Lots, Marshalls, T.J. Maxx: 62%
Rounding out the top 10 department stores in the USA are Big Lots, Marshalls, and T.J. Maxx. 62% of consumers have a positive opinion of these three stores. All three are also vastly more popular among females.
Top 10 department stores in the USA: by generation
The rankings of top department stores in the USA differ from generation to generation. For instance, Target, T.J. Maxx, and Dollar Tree are the three most popular stores among millennials.
Generation X’s top three are Costco, Dollar Tree, and Sam’s Club. Meanwhile, baby boomers’ preferred stores are Costco, Kohl’s, and Dollar Tree.