More than two-thirds of consumers shopped at Walmart, Target, Walgreens and CVS

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — More than two-thirds of Americans shopped at Walmart, Target, Walgreens, Dollar Tree and CVS, either online or in-store, according to a new index from The NPD Group.

NPD tracked the top 25 retailers and restaurants last year via its Checkout Penetration Index. According to the research firm, the results are based on millions of receipts from actual consumers across all retailers and restaurants, both online and in brick and mortar, and takes a new approach to understanding market penetration and performance. The index is based on one simple question: “What percentage of all U. S. consumers bought at each store or restaurant?”

Walmart topped the index with a whopping 95% of U.S. consumers shopping either at its stores or online last year. McDonald’s placed second on the list at 89%, followed by Target at 84% and Walgreens at 77% and Dollar Tree at 71%. CVS ranked seventh on the list at 69%, and Dollar General ranked 17th with 44%.

“The battle for every consumer dollar is heating up, and we must shift from studying what consumers purchase to how they spend their money,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst, The NPD Group. “Consumers spending on experiences is overlapping with their purchases of products, making every item and visit so important to competing in today’s rapidly changing marketplace.”

To view the full list of companies on the NPD list, click here.