The 10 most innovative companies in retail are…
An online giant leads the annual ranking of the top 10 most innovative companies in retail by consumer publication Fast Company.
The ranking combine familiar brands — Amazon, Walmart, Sephora, Sugarfina and Rent the Runway — with such relatively unfamiliar upstarts as Brandless. The online retailer launched in 2017, selling its own line of nonperishable food and other household items (every product costs $3.) Also on the list is Burrow, a direct-to-consumer furniture brand that wants to do with sofas what Casper did for mattresses, and M/F People, an extremely curated selection of apparel basics and beauty essentials that are designed and packaged simply.
One non-retailer made the rankings. Alfred is a personal-concierge service company that combines artificial intelligence with human assistants to create experiences that go beyond just picking up laundry or ordering groceries to include thinks like putting the groceries in the refrigerator.
Here is a brief review of the Fast Company rankings (click here for the complete summary):
1. Amazon: For becoming a larger than life presence;
2. Walmart: For embracing its inner underdog;
3. Sephora: For leading the beauty industry into the future;
4. Everlane: For building the next-gen clothing brand;
5. Sugarfina: For hitting the sweet spot;
6. Alfred: For combining artificial and human assistance to create next-level concierge experiences;
7. Brandless: For selling products, not stories;
8. Rent the Runway: For thinking beyond what closets can hold;
9. Burrow: For making custom furniture in a flash; and
10. M/F People: For using CPGs to simplify your morning routine.
The ranking combine familiar brands — Amazon, Walmart, Sephora, Sugarfina and Rent the Runway — with such relatively unfamiliar upstarts as Brandless. The online retailer launched in 2017, selling its own line of nonperishable food and other household items (every product costs $3.) Also on the list is Burrow, a direct-to-consumer furniture brand that wants to do with sofas what Casper did for mattresses, and M/F People, an extremely curated selection of apparel basics and beauty essentials that are designed and packaged simply.
One non-retailer made the rankings. Alfred is a personal-concierge service company that combines artificial intelligence with human assistants to create experiences that go beyond just picking up laundry or ordering groceries to include thinks like putting the groceries in the refrigerator.
Here is a brief review of the Fast Company rankings (click here for the complete summary):
1. Amazon: For becoming a larger than life presence;
2. Walmart: For embracing its inner underdog;
3. Sephora: For leading the beauty industry into the future;
4. Everlane: For building the next-gen clothing brand;
5. Sugarfina: For hitting the sweet spot;
6. Alfred: For combining artificial and human assistance to create next-level concierge experiences;
7. Brandless: For selling products, not stories;
8. Rent the Runway: For thinking beyond what closets can hold;
9. Burrow: For making custom furniture in a flash; and
10. M/F People: For using CPGs to simplify your morning routine.