ROST vs ALC Comparison

Ross Stores operates as an off-price apparel and accessories retailer with the majority of its sales derived from its Ross Dress for Less banner. The company opportunistically procures excess brand-name merchandise made available via manufacturing overruns and retail liquidation sales at a 20%-60% discount to full prices. As such, its stores are often filled with a vast array of stock-keeping units, each with minimal product depth that creates a treasure hunt shopping experience. The firm's more than 1,750 Ross Dress for Less stores are primarily located in densely populated suburban communities and typically serve middle-income consumers. Ross also operates about 350 DD's Discounts chains targeting lower-income shoppers.

Alcon is one of the leading visioncare companies in the world. Following nine years as a Novartis subsidiary, it was spun off as a public company in April 2019. Alcon operates in two segments: visioncare and surgical. Visioncare comprises contact lenses, lenscare solutions, and a suite of ocular health products. With brands like Dailies, Total1, and Air Optix, Alcon controls about one fourth of the U.S. contact lens market. Surgical comprises intraocular lenses, ophthalmic surgical equipment, and consumables used during surgeries. Its main products include Centurion, a phacoemulsification device used during cataract surgeries, and a portfolio of IOLs including PanOptix and Vivity. Alcon has one of the largest installed bases of eye surgical equipment in the world.