CVS/Caremark is nation's fourth largest retailer

CVS Caremark Corp. of Rhode Island ranked as the country's fourth largest retailer, thanks to CVS's acquisition of Caremark, Stores magazine said today.

Stores is published by the communications unit of the National Retail Federation, a trade group of merchants, and every year, the magazine compiles a Top 100 retailers list that ranks chains by revenues.

According to the Stores list, CVS Caremark had 2007 revenues of just over $76 billion; CVS, which acquired prescription drug benefits manager Caremark Rx Inc., ranked ninth on the previous year's list, Stores said.

CVS Caremark was only slightly behind the second and third largest retailers - the Ohio-based food retailer Kroger Co., with $79.2 billion in revenues, and Home Depot Inc. of Georgia, with about $77.4 billion in revenues, Stores said.

At the 10th spot on the list, with about $44 billion in 2007 revenues, was Supervalu Inc., the Minnesota-based parent of Shaw's Supermarkets Inc. of West Bridgewater, which has a big presence in the Greater Boston market.

Staples Inc., the office supplies retailer headquartered in Framingham, came in 19th on the list with about $19.4 billion in annual revenues. Staples could move even higher next year. Staples recently won its battle to buy Corporate Express NV. The two companies have combined annual revenues of $27 billion, Staples has said - $27 billion would have been good for 13th place on this year's list of top retailers.

TJX Cos., the Framingham-based operator of such chains as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, ranked 20th on this year's list, with just over $18.6 billion in revenues, according to Stores magazine.

Holding the top spot once again on the retailers list was Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the Arkansas behemoth with just under $379 billion in 2007 revenues, Stores said.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)