What is a main advantage of a big-box retailer?
James Williams
Updated on February 23, 2026
Big-box stores offer their most attractive discounts on big-ticket items, undercutting specialty stores and smaller retailers on price. So yes, you can often save hundreds of dollars on electronics, appliances, and other major purchases if you shop at a big-box retailer.
What company is currently the largest big-box retail store?
Walmart
| Rank | Company | 2018 retail sales (billions) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walmart | $387.66 |
| 2 | Amazon.com | $120.93 |
| 3 | The Kroger Co. | $119.70 |
| 4 | Costco | $101.43 |
How do you compete against big-box stores?
5 Ways Small Businesses Can Compete With Big-Box Stores
- Go niche. Big-box retailers offer a handful of options in each narrow category—say, men’s T-shirts or kids’ bikes.
- Take the high (quality) road. Go head-to-head with giant retailers on price, and you’ll lose.
- Stress service.
- Dabble in delivery.
- Complement to complete.
What are the disadvantages of big-box stores?
Big-Box Retailing
- occupy more than 50,000 square feet of space (sometimes as much as 250,000).
- require large sales volumes, so they often use predatory marketing strategies to take sales away from existing retailers.
- rely on shoppers who typically arrive at the store by car, so they need large-capacity roads.
Is Walmart considered a big box store?
A big-box retailer is a retail store that occupies an enormous amount of physical space and offers a variety of products to its customers. Walmart, Home Depot, and Ikea are examples of big-box retailers. Warehouse clubs such as Costco and BJs are the original kind of big-box retailers.
Why big box stores are bad?
They: Occupy more than 50,000 square feet of space (sometimes as much as 250,000). Require large sales volumes, so they often use predatory marketing strategies to take sales away from existing retailers. Rely on shoppers who arrive at the store by car, so they need large-capacity roads.
Why is difficult for entrepreneurs to compete with large retailers?
Economies of scale mean that the larger stores have more purchasing power than you, and can drive down their suppliers’ prices. You might not be able to get their prices down by much, but you could negotiate other deals. For example, you could get a range of products in your shop before the big retailers.
What things do small business owners need to keep in mind to compete with big-box industries?
Here are those 12 ideas for small businesses to compete with big brands:
- Establish a Solid Digital Presence for Your Small Business.
- Test Out Marketing Trends.
- Build Your Business’s Reputation.
- Deliver Excellent Customer Service.
- Make Improvements Based on Customer Feedback.
- Segment & Refine Your Target Audience.
What makes a store a big box retailer?
What is a ‘Big Box Retailer’. A big box retailer is a retail store that occupies an enormous amount of physical space and offers a variety of products to its customers. These stores achieve economies of scale by focusing on large sales volumes.
Can you save money at big box stores?
So yes, you can save hundreds of dollars on electronics, appliances, and other major purchases. But not everything in big-box stores carries a deep discount or is even better priced than the local supermarket, butcher, or clothing store.
Are there deep discounts in big box stores?
But not everything in big-box stores carries a deep discount or is even better priced than the local supermarket, butcher, or clothing store. Once they have you in the store, they’re counting on you to purchase other items that aren’t deeply discounted and that you might not even need.
Why are there big box stores on Black Friday?
Big-box stores attract big crowds, which can mean long checkout lines and mobbed parking lots. Sometimes fighting the crowds is worth it. If it weren’t, retailers wouldn’t be able to count on Black Friday sales to get them through the fourth quarter.