Women in Retail Leadership Circle is thrilled to announce the publication of our 16th annual Top Women in Retail report! Over those years we have featured SO MANY women in the retail industry who have had an incredible, meaningful impact, and we’re so excited to celebrate our newest cohort.

Like in years past, the 2026 edition of this report features a who’s who in the retail industry. Honorees, who were nominated by Women in Retail Leadership Circle members, Inner Circle newsletter subscribers (that’s you!), WIRLC partners, and retail industry insiders, were chosen based on several criteria, including position within their retail organizations, scope of responsibility within those positions, career achievements, involvement within the retail industry, and more. This year, honorees hail from a variety of product verticals, including apparel, luxury, beauty, furniture, grocery, and more.

The report also features our sixth annual inclusion of Women on the Rise. These inspiring women are forging their paths to being the next great leaders in the retail industry.

The Top Women and On the Rise honorees will be recognized at the 2026 Women in Retail Leadership Summit, which is being held April 27-29 in Miami. If you haven’t reserved your seat yet, register today for a chance to network with these incredible leaders!

Download the 2026 Top Women in Retail report today and let us know if you have ideas for who should be honored in 2027!