The 100 Fastest-Growing Cross-Channel Retailers

By The Retail Online Integration Staff

#1 Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
One of the newer companies on this list (it was founded in 1981), Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) has quickly grown from its humble beginnings as a small coffee shop in Vermont into a national brand known for its specialty coffee and coffee makers. The company operates three distinct business units: Specialty Coffee, which includes Green Mountain Coffee, Tully's Coffee, Diedrich Coffee and Coffee People; Keurig, which manufactures the single-cup brewing system; and GMCR Canada, which is responsible for all GMCR sales in Canada and includes the Van Houtte business and Timothy's World Coffee brand. GMCR prides itself in its commitment to social responsibility. The retailer supports local and global communities by offsetting 100 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions, investing in Fair Trade Certified coffee and donating at least 5 percent of its pre-tax profits to social and environmental projects.

Here are some highlights from Green Mountain's 2011 fiscal year, according to its website:

operating income of $368.9 million, a 166  percent increase over fiscal 2010;
net income of $199.5 million, a 151 percent increase vs. 2010; and
gross profit for fiscal 2011 was $904.6 million compared to $425.8 million in fiscal 2010.

It appears the good times very likely will continue for GMCR in 2012. The retailer, for example, recently opened a new manufacturing and distribution facility in Isle of Wight County, Virginia (its ninth total), as well as expanded its strategic relationship with Starbucks for the manufacturing, marketing, distribution and sale of Starbucks-branded Vue packs for use in GMCR's recently introduced Keurig Vue brewer. — Joe Keenan

#23 Carter's
If you're a parent, you've most likely heard of Carter's. The Atlanta-based manufacturer and retailer is a leading provider of apparel and related products for babies and young children. The retailer operates the Carter's and OshKosh B'goshbrands, two of the most recognized brands in the children's marketplace.

The brands are sold in department stores, national chains and specialty retailers, along with more than 400 company-operated stores and online at carters.com and oshkoshbgosh.com.

"In 2011, the company achieved sales growth in every segment of our business, which reflects the strength of our brands and compelling value they provide to consumers," said Michael D. Casey, chairman and chief executive officer of Carter's, in a company press release. "For the year, we achieved a record level of sales by extending the reach of our brands in the United States and international markets."

Indeed, international segment sales for the cross-channel retailer increased to $6.4 million, or 8.5 percent in fiscal 2011, reflecting the acquisition of the Canadian retailer Bonnie Togs last year, along with higher wholesale sales.

In addition, Carter's opened one store in Canada in 2011, bringing the total number of stores the company operates in Canada to 65. Other highlights of Carter's 2011 fiscal year include the following:

Carter's retail segment sales increased 22.9 percent to $671.6 million, driven by $57 million in sales generated from new store openings and $40.8 million generated from e-commerce sales; and
sales for the OshKosh B' gosh retail segment increased 6 percent to $280.9 million, driven by $12.9 million in e-commerce sales and $8.9 million from new store openings. — Melissa Campanelli