Despite the challenges of the ever-evolving retail business, these five companies have continued to adopt and are thus leading players in their industries. They have built long-term sustainable competitive advantages that will most likely see them operating successfully in the future.
Here are five retail shares, which I believe have good future prospects.
| Company | Retail Sector | P/E | ROE | Stock Price Appreciation Since December 30, 2011. |
| JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH) | Electronics | 13.71 | 27.35% | 61.77% |
| Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV) | Clothing | 25.06 | 6.68% | 185.92% |
| RCG Corporation Limited (ASX: RCG) | Footwear | 41.24 | 6.99% | 345.59% |
| ARB Corporation Limited (ASX: ARB) | Automotive | 26.71 | 20.79% | 95.44% |
| Burson Group Ltd (ASX: BAP) | Automotive | 33.19 | 10.72% | 91.71% |
Source: Google Finance
JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH) – JB Hi-Fi continues to solidify its position as the leading electronics retailer in Australia by adding new product lines and store formats. It plans to increase the number of stores from the current 187 to 214.
Premier Investments Limited (ASX: PMV) – Premier Investments is the owner of famous brand names like Just Jeans, Jay Jays, Smiggle and Peter Alexander. Positive sales growth was recorded across all brands during the last financial year and more new stores are being added to the network during the current financial year.
RCG Corporation Limited (ASX: RCG) – RCG is the owner of The Athlete's Foot and retailer of internationally famous footwear brands. The recent acquisition of another footwear distributor and retailer, Accent Group, will likely enhance growth.
ARB Corporation Limited (ASX: ARB) – ARB Corporation manufactures and retails four wheel drive parts. ARB has seen tremendous growth over the last 10 years, however it seems that growth is slowing down. The business still remains a high-quality business and is likely to continue growing in the future.
Burson Group Ltd (ASX: BAP) – Burson is Australia's leading automotive aftermarket parts business with a 100-plus stores in the network. Burson recently acquired the automotive division of Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS), adding brands like Autobarn and Midas to the network.
Foolish takeaway
All of the companies mentioned above have been highly successful in their area of business. The future prospects for them also look appealing as they are run by passionate management. So a Foolish investor seeking exposure to quality businesses in the retail sector should consider adding them to the watch list.
