The Top 10 Financially Healthy Retailers

In light of the significant trauma to the economy over the past 18 months, it is more important than ever to study retailer health comprehensively. That's why Consensus Advisors released the 2009-2010 Retailer Health Ratings, a benchmarking tool providing essential financial context to comp store sales data on nearly160 publicly traded retailers.

 

The Consensus Retailer Health Ratings measure and compare retailers over a five-year period with regard to their: Healthy growth, asset utilization, pricing power and balance sheet strength. The report lists an overall Retailer Health Rating for each retailer and also presents relative ranks within 20 retailing categories.

 

Without further ado, the Top 10 financially healthiest retailers are:

 

"This is a historically unique time to examine retailer health," said Michael O'Hara, CEO of Consensus Advisors. "Our highest rated company, Amazon.com, has exploited the increasing availability of broadband internet and mobile technology to build a fast growing and highly efficient retailing super-power."

 

Top 10 retailers CVS, Wal-Mart and Bed, Bath & Beyond continue to efficiently deliver a broad assortment of staple items to consumers at accessible price points year after year. Non-cannibalizing acquisitions and strategic opportunism, such as CVS' purchase of Caremark and Bed, Bath & Beyond' share capture following the liquidation of Linens ââââââââ¬Å¡¬Å¡¬Å¡¬ËÅâââââ¬Å¡¬Åâââ¬Åân Things, positioned the healthiest retailers to grow during the recession while others retrenched.

 

Other financially strong businesses in the Top 10, like Aeropostale, Coach, Guess and Lululemon, have used the exclusivity of their vertically-integrated brands to navigate macroeconomic challenges and take market share from their competitors, maintaining margins and inventory turns and avoiding debt.

 

"Additionally, The Buckle continues to amaze us by its performance over the past five years. They have continuously managed to carry the apparel teens and young adults want regardless of the shape of the economy," concludes O'Hara.

 

To obtain the Retailer Health Rating Annual Report, visit www.retailerhealthratings.com