Most investors in global retail players were not happy shoppers this year. Economic gloom is deterring buyers and discount stores are giving most big-name stores a run for their money. But data from global retail giants Tesco, Wal-Mart Stores, Marks & Spencer and Costco Wholesale shows that while sales and profit have dropped for many, a few managed to grow their business.

Attracting customers

Boosted by strong financial performance even in times of slowdown, the stock of US-based Kroger, one of the world’s largest grocery retailers, has surged 51 per cent year-to-date. Beating estimates, Kroger posted a 12 per cent rise in sales to $25.3 billion and a 9.5 per cent jump in profit to $347 million for the three months ended July 2014. The $2.5-billion acquisition of North Carolina-based Harris Teeter also helped. The retailer has revised its guidance upwards.

Then take the case of Costco Wholesale, which caters to bulk buyers. With attractive bargains, the US warehouse club chain has managed to grow sales. It posted net sales of $19.30 billion for the nine weeks ended November 2, up 7 per cent from the year-ago period. The company’s stock is up 19 per cent this year. Helped by a good sales performance in the quarter ended October, the stock of the giant retailer Walmart gained 15 per cent in the past one month and is up 11 per cent year-to-date.

Losing out to discounters

The story on the other side of the Atlantic is, however, not very rosy. UK’s biggest retailer Tesco has been facing competition from discounters such as Aldi and Lidl. Tesco reported a 4.6 per cent fall in like-for-like sales in the UK and a 92 per cent slide in pre-tax profits in the 26 weeks to August 23.

Worse, the company also took a hit on reputation − it admitted to an accounting fraud two months back, involving an overstatement of profits by 263 million pounds.

No surprise that Tesco’s stock has lost 44 per cent year-to-date.

Marks & Spencer, however, improved its margins for the half-year ended September despite a fall in sales. The stock is up 13 per cent for the year.

Asian pick-up

E-commerce was all the rage in China, understandably, thanks to Alibaba Group Holding.

But online was not a panacea for large Chinese retailers, such as GOME Electrical Appliances Holding and Suning Commerce Group. They have been diversifying from physical sales into the online space, but their stocks have lost 8 per cent and 16 per cent year-to-date, respectively.

Stocks of Indian retailers Trent and Shoppers Stop have made gains on hopes of a pick up in consumer sentiment.

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