MVI classifies every retailer banner by its Format, which in turn falls under one of MVI’s 10 Format Types (Channels) to characterize the retail operations. Below are the Channel and Format classifications MVI uses in its database, research, and presentations.
Cash & Carry: This channel typically has stores that range from 90,000 to 150,000 sqft (9,000 to 15,000 sqm) with a shopper base that includes consumers and small businesses. The stores carry large pack sizes and a combination of private label and national/global brands stocked on steel racks and on pallets. Food sales account for 25% to 50% of store sales. Formats include:
- Cash & Carry: Does not charge an annual membership fee. This format tends to be more prevalent in Europe (e.g., Metro, Promocash) and South America (e.g., Makro).
- Warehouse Clubs: Charge an annual membership fee. This format is common in North America (e.g., Costco, SAM’S Club (Wal-Mart)).
Category Specialist: This channel includes stores that focus on single or closely related categories. Store size varies depending on the category type and can range from 5,000 sqft to more than 100,000 sqft (500 to 10,000 sqm). Formats include:
- Apparel: Gap, The Limited, H&M, Burberry’s
- Auto: AutoZone, Pep Boys, Stationmarché, Yellow Hat
- Books: Barnes & Noble, Borders, W.H. Smith, Waterstones
- Consumer Electronics: Best Buy, Circuit City, Media Markt, Yamada Denki
- DIY Hardware Stores: Smaller DIY (do-it-yourself) stores focused on hardware and tools that have minimal building material (e.g., ACE Hardware, Bricoman).
- DIY Specialty: DIY stores specializing in flooring, etc. (e.g., EXPO, Logimarche
- DIY Superstore: DIY home improvement stores (e.g., Home Depot, Lowe’s, Bricomarche, B&Q
- Furniture: IKEA, Conforama, Homeworld, Courts
- Health & Beauty: Sephora, Body Shop, GS-Watsons
- Hobbies & Crafts: Michaels, Paperchase
- Home Goods: Bed Bath & Beyond, ASDA Living
- Jewelry: Tiffany, Zales Jewelers
- Music Store: Virgin, HMV, Sam Goody
- Office Superstores: Staples, Office Depot, OfficeMax
- Other Category Specialist: Other category-focused retailers not classified in one of other category specialist formats (e.g., tobacco stores)
- Pets: PetsMart, Tom & Co.
- Sporting Goods: Sports Authority, Decathlon
- Toys: Toys R Us
Convenience: Small box stores focused on convenience shopping trips. Store size ranges from 500 sqft to 5,000 sqft (50 sqm to 500 sqm) with food accounting for close to 50% of merchandise sales mix (excluding fuel). Convenience stores may offer fresh and prepared food in addition to packaged food (e.g., 7-Eleven, Circle K). Many stores, especially in the US, tend to have fuel pumps on site. Convenience stores may be located in the forecourt of larger-box retailer formats such as supermarkets or hypermarkets (e.g., Tesco Express).
Important Note: Convenience store sales in the MVI Retailer Database excludes fuel sale.
Department: Large-scale stores that may be multi-level with a merchandise mix focused on fashion, apparel, and home goods. Department stores in Asia and Europe generally include a large assortment of food (e.g., Takashimaya, Marks & Spencer), while North American department stores offer little or no food (e.g., Bloomingdales).
Discounter: Generally small stores ranging from 2,500 sqft to 20,000 sqft (250 sqm to 2,000 sqm) in size with limited items and selection aimed at value-seeking consumers. The assortment usually includes extensive private label offerings. Format types include:
- Close-out Store: Specializes in selling end-run or discontinued branded products at a deep discount (e.g., Big Lots, Tuesday Morning)
- Convenience Discount: Small stores ranging from 6,000 sqft to 8,000 sqft (600 sqm to 800 sqm), focusing on highly consumable general merchandise (e.g., Dollar General, Emma (Rewe), Wilkinson’s)
- Limited Assortment Grocery/Hard Discount (Ltd Asst Grcy/Hd Discount): Small, food-focused format with limited SKUs with a significant emphasis on private label merchandise and a relatively small number of branded items (e.g., Aldi, Save-A-Lot)
- Limited Assortment Grocery/Soft Discount (Ltd Asst Grcy/Sf Discount): Small, food-focused format with limited SKUs that tend to include a mix of branded and private label merchandise; found primarily in Europe (e.g., Dia, Leader Price).
- Single Price Point: Sell a majority of the items at a single price point with an assortment of low-price branded items; a high percentage of items are imports (e.g., Dollar Tree, Waldo’s $ Mart, Daiso Sangyo).
Drug: Small stores selling drugs, general merchandise, limited packaged food, and grocery-related items. Store size generally ranges from 500 sqft to 20,000 sqft (50 sqm to 200 sqm). Format Types include:
- Drugstores with Prescriptions: Differentiated by the presence of an in-store pharmacy and prescription medications in addition to over-the-counter medication (e.g., CVS, Walgreens). Prescription drug sales typically represent 50%-60% of total sales.
- Drugstores no Prescriptions: These stores only have over-the-counter (OTC) drugs; more common outside of Europe and the US (e.g., Schlecker, Kruidvat).
Hypermarket: Large-format stores that include a full selection of grocery items and general merchandise (hardlines and softlines), as well as shopper services such as auto service, photo development, and food service. Stores typically range from 80,000 sqft to 280,000 sqft (8,000 sqm to 28,000 sqm). Format Types include:
- Hypermarket: Large stores that range from 100,000 sqft to 200,000 sqft (10,000 sqm to 20,000 sqm). Food sales account for more than 50% of total revenue. Predominantly single-level stores, though some multi-level locations do exist. Hypermarkets are most common in Europe, Asia, and Latin America (e.g., Carrefour, Auchan, Jumbo).
- Supercenters: Generally single-level stores ranging from 80,000 sqft to 280,000 sqft (8,000 sqm to 28,000 sqm) and operated primarily by US retailers. Food generally accounts for 40% of total sales, while general merchandise and service departments represent the balance of sales (e.g., Wal-Mart SuperCenter, SuperTarget, Meijer).
- Japanese Superstores: Large multi-level stores unique to Japanese retailers. Food represents 45%-50% of sales, and general merchandise (both hardlines and softlines) accounts for the rest (e.g. Ito-Yokado, Daiei, Jusco).
Mass Merchandiser no SC (no Supercenter):Medium- to large-scale stores ranging from 50,000 sqft to 130,000 sqft (5,000 sqm to 13,000 sqm). The emphasis is on general merchandise, including some apparel and limited food offering (e.g., Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target) and located primarily in North America.
Non-Store Retail: MVI tracks the following non-store selling Formats:
- Mail Order: Retailers selling merchandise though mail order catalogs. The mail order business may be a part of a store-based retailer’s business or an independent business (e.g., Office Depot Direct, Otto Versand).
- Online Retail: Websites selling consumer products. The websites may be affiliated with a store-based retailer (e.g., Target.com), or alternately may be an independent company (e.g., Amazon.com).
Important Note: MVI’s focus is on store-based retail. Our coverage of Non-Store Retail operations is not as thorough as it is for store-based retail. Non-Store Retail operations contained in the MVI retailer database are generally subsidiaries of major store-base retailers already in the database.
Supermarket: Primary focus is on packaged and perishable food items with an increasing percentage of prepared foods in the assortment. General merchandise (hardlines and household items) and health and beauty products are common. Food usually represents between 75% and 90% of total revenue. Stores range from 10,000 sqft to 60,000 sqft (1,000 sqm to 6,000 sqm).