Not everyone associates innovation with the retail business but for every tired old brand there are companies doing amazing things in the retail space.
Fast Company found the top ten as part of its annual "World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2026" report, which also includes rankings for 59 individual industries and sectors, from advertising to video.
Here you go:
1. Shopify: Fast Company applauded the shopping service’s agentic AI hookup with ChatGPT and its universal cart option.
2. Walmart: Being the best Walmart possible was a winner, from keeping prices low to inventory turns.
3. Fanatics: Going beyond just selling team jerseys into collectibles and events was a winner
4. Square: The point-of-sale service’s new Square Handheld device made it even more useful for sellers.
5. J. Crew: Leveraging its legacy heritage gave this brand a special position in the marketplace.
6. Printemps: Its new Manhattan store redefined what a department store could be.
7. Rebel: This re-commerce platform processes more than 70,000 products a week returning them to consumers instead of landfills,
8. Amazon: Its use of AI made the “everything store” a little less daunting.
9. Field.IO: Its technology makes creating immersive retail experiences much more affordable.
10. VenHub: Welcome to 24/7 fully automated and staff-less vending machine-based stores.