CGT's Top 100 Consumer Goods Companies 2016

The consumer goods industry continues to operate under duress, with market challenges appearing to negate growth at every turn.

Over the last year, manufacturers had to deal with the economy’s impact on spending as well as changing consumer habits and demands in a world that has gone digital. Revenue losses once again outnumbered revenue gains in CGT’s annual ranking of the Top 100 Consumer Goods Companies in 2015.

Download the full list of the Top 100 Consumer Goods Companies

Fortunately, the numbers tell only a part of a much bigger story; a story about an adaptable industry that views  challenges not as roadblocks, but as opportunities for reflection, transformation and growth. From consolidations and niche brand acquisitions to bold plays in omnichannel and emerging markets, the companies on this year’s Top 100 list are on their way to returning to profitable growth.

Editorial coverage:
To read about seven consumer goods companies that outpaced the competition in 2015, click here.

To read "The View from Wall Street," click here.

RULES & GUIDELINES

Rank
Because many companies have yet to publish their 2016 annual reports, only 2015 annual revenue or the equivalent is used to determine each company’s placement on the Top 100 list. All financial information was sourced from Hoover’s Inc. and/or each company’s 2015 annual report, in a few cases.

Revenue for each company is reported in millions of U.S. dollars ($M). If a company reported revenue in a currency other than U.S. dollars, and Hoover’s did not provide the U.S. dollar equivalent in its report, then the figure was subject to live exchange rates at press time (August 1, 2016). Year-over-year gains and losses are reported based on information from the aforementioned sources.  

Inclusion
Because revenue for most private companies is not available to the general public, the Top 100 list only includes publicly traded companies. Therefore, large, well-known consumer goods companies such as Mars Inc., Perdue Farms or Dole Food Company are absent from the ranking. It is also worth noting that only sales from consumer or over-the-counter divisions are considered when ranking Pharmaceutical companies and select Housewares/Appliances companies.

M&A
In most cases, merger, acquisition or spin-off transactions that took place in the latter half of 2015 and 2016, like Newell Rubbermaid’s acquisition of Jarden Corp. or ConAgra Foods transition to Conagra Brands, are not reflected on the list. Deals that occurred in early 2014 or years prior (for example, Kraft Foods, Inc. merger with H.J. Heinz or Energizer’s split into two publicly traded companies) are reflected in the ranking.
 

Additional Notes
*Conversions from foreign currency to the U.S. dollar were completed on 8/1/2016    
**WH Group Limited (formerly Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd.) was privately held until 2013, therefore no financial data was available to calculate five-year growth gain or loss.
***The Kraft Heinz Company was formed in 2015. No financial data for the combined company was available for the years 2011 and 2014 to calculate growth gain or loss.