Cover Story: The Top 100 Fastest-Growing Cross-Channel Retailers

#72 Sally Beauty Supply
Despite a less-than-stellar economic climate, retailers in the beauty industry have been on an impressive run as of late. A March report by The NPD Group found that prestige beauty sales (i.e., beauty products sold mainly in U.S. department stores) posted a 7 percent gain in 2012, generating $10.2 billion in sales. Sally Beauty Supply, an international specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty supplies, was able to tap into that marketplace.

Through its Sally Beauty Supply and Beauty Systems Group businesses, the company sells and distributes its products via 4,500 stores, including approximately 200 franchised units, throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, Chile, France, the Netherlands, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Ireland, Spain and Germany. Sally Beauty Supply stores offer more than 6,000 products for hair, skin and nail care, as well as proprietary merchandise. Beauty Systems Group stores, branded as CosmoProf or Armstrong McCall stores, along with its outside sales consultants, sell up to 9,800 professionally branded products targeted exclusively for professional and salon use and resale to their customers. Here are some highlights from Sally Beauty Holdings' 2012 fiscal year, according to its website:

• net sales of $3.5 billion, an increase of 7.8 percent compared to $3.3 billion in fiscal year 2011;
• net earnings of of $233.1 million, a 9 percent increase over fiscal year 2011; and
• same-store sales increased by 6.4 percent over last year. — Melissa Campanelli

#91 West Marine
West Marine, the world's largest specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories, has grown a lot from its humble beginnings as West Coast Ropes, a seller of nylon rope that was started in founder and current chairman Randy Repass' Sunnyvale, Calif. garage in 1968. Today, the company has 300 company-operated stores located in 38 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and five franchised stores located in Turkey. In addition, West Marine's direct-to-consumer division includes a call center, print catalogs and e-commerce website.

The company sells more than 75,000 products, from the rope that started it all to the latest in marine electronics, technical apparel, footwear and accessories. West Marine also has a Port Supply wholesale division, which is one of the largest wholesale distributors of marine equipment. It serves boat manufacturers, marine services, commercial vessel operators and government agencies. Here are some highlights from West Marine's 2012 fiscal year, according to its website:

• net revenues were $675.3 million, an increase of 4.9 percent compared to net revenues of $643.4 million for fiscal year 2011;
• net income of $15.5 million, a 15 percent increase over fiscal year 2011;comparable store sales increased 3.3 percent compared to fiscal year 2011; and
• the company remained debt free, with $91.7 million available under its revolving credit facility.

It appears the good times will very likely continue for West Marine in 2013. The retailer announced in April that it was named by Forbes as one of "America's 100 Most Trustworthy Companies" for the second year in a row. — Melissa Campanelli