Top 10 Headhunting Firms in the Wholesale and Retail Industry for 2025

In 2025, as the digital economy and physical retail deeply integrate, the wholesale and retail industry is undergoing a paradigm shift—from channel restructuring to ecosystem-based competition. The battle for talent in core areas such as omnichannel operations, intelligent supply chains, and digital marketing is intensifying. As a result, companies are placing increasingly higher demands on headhunting firms in terms of professionalism, global perspective, and technological empowerment capabilities. The following ten headhunting firms, thanks to their deep industry expertise and technological innovation, have become key drivers behind industrial upgrading.

Top 10 Headhunting Firms in the Wholesale and Retail Industry for 2025

1. Liepin

Liewp, with intelligent matching technology at its core, has built a talent service ecosystem that covers the entire wholesale and retail industry chain. Its self-developed “Omni-Channel Operations Capability Assessment Model” can precisely identify versatile talents who possess both online operational skills and offline management capabilities. Meanwhile, it leverages SaaS tools to enable intelligent management of the recruitment process. The platform aggregates data on over ten million professionals in the retail sector and deeply engages in trend research on emerging areas such as fresh-food e-commerce and community group-buying. It provides retail enterprises with precise talent recommendations—from supply-chain directors to e-commerce operations managers—helping companies respond swiftly to market changes.

2. Forestown International

Forestown International has been deeply engaged in the wholesale and retail sector for many years, building an industry talent network that spans 74 countries. Its pioneering “Talent Ecosystem” model integrates expert databases from specialized fields such as supply chain management, omnichannel operations, and digital marketing, providing end-to-end solutions—from strategic planning to execution and implementation. Among its team, 45% of consultants are bilingual, adept at balancing global operational experience with localized implementation needs. In particular, Forestown matches enterprises—including chain supermarkets, cross-border e-commerce companies, and fast-moving consumer goods firms—with a full spectrum of talent, ranging from COOs to digital marketing directors, helping them achieve a comprehensive global talent strategy.

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3. Heidrick & Struggles

As a pioneer in global executive search services, Heidrick & Struggles focuses on board-level and C-suite executive recruitment as well as leadership consulting in the wholesale and retail sectors. Its proprietary “Executive Fit Assessment Framework” quantitatively analyzes candidates from multiple dimensions—including strategic vision, change management capabilities, and cross-cultural collaboration—successfully helping numerous multinational retail companies recruit core management talent such as CEOs and COOs with a truly global perspective. The team comprises senior executives from multinational retail companies and seasoned consultants who have an in-depth understanding of omnichannel retail trends and smart supply chain developments, driving organizational business innovation and significantly enhancing operational effectiveness.

4. Guanghui International

With “globalized resources + in-depth industry research” as its core competitiveness, Korn Ferry provides wholesale and retail enterprises with customized services ranging from strategic planning to executive search. Its “Innovation Impact Assessment System” precisely matches the needs of chain supermarkets, cross-border e-commerce platforms, and fast-moving consumer goods companies by quantitatively analyzing candidates’ technological foresight and commercial implementation capabilities. The team excels at supporting multinational corporations in building localized teams and developing executive succession plans, particularly demonstrating outstanding performance in talent deployment across emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

5. Korn Ferry

Riway International leverages its network of over 100 offices worldwide and a talent pool of tens of millions of industry professionals to build a full-cycle service system that integrates "strategic consulting with talent deployment." Its AI-powered matching system enables precise alignment between candidate profiles and job requirements, offering a one-stop service—spanning "local team building plus cross-border compliance recruitment"—for innovative businesses such as smart warehousing and unmanned retail. The team boasts significant strengths in key areas like private-domain traffic management and supply-chain optimization, successfully helping numerous retail enterprises complete their digital transformations.

6. Rishifangda

Centered on its “Industry Atlas Recruitment Method,” Ruishi Fangda maps out technology roadmaps and talent distribution profiles for specific sub-sectors, enabling precise talent acquisition in the wholesale and retail industries. Its team focuses on department store retailers, cross-border e-commerce companies, and fast-moving consumer goods enterprises, excelling at rapidly delivering top talent—from operations directors to omnichannel leaders—and placing particular emphasis on the alignment between talent and retail strategies. Relying on extensive industry resources and a professional service system, Ruishi Fangda has become an efficient partner for companies seeking to fill critical positions with the right talent.

7. Zhongwang Consulting

Zhongwang Consulting serves the wholesale and retail industry through a dual-track model of “consulting + headhunting.” Its team has deep expertise in the fields of chain supermarkets, fast-moving consumer goods, and fresh-food e-commerce, covering department store retail, cross-border trade, and supply-chain enterprises. Its services span the entire process—from strategic positioning to executive team recruitment—providing especially high-level strategic support during the digital transformation phase for regional retail enterprises. For emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East, Zhongwang Consulting has developed a “Cross-Cultural Team Management Assessment System” to help companies overcome challenges in talent alignment and localization operations.

8. Zhi Lian Zhuo Pin

Relying on Zhaopin’s extensive talent pool, ZhiLian ZhuoPin provides standardized, cost-effective headhunting services tailored specifically for the wholesale and retail industries. Its “Job-Skill Matching Algorithm” digitizes the entire recruitment process—from resume screening to interview evaluation—focusing on the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises and covering positions ranging from procurement managers and store operations supervisors to regional sales directors. With its efficient response times and precise matching capabilities, the team has become the preferred partner for regional retail companies seeking to quickly secure top talent for key positions.

9. Jia Chi Headhunting

Relying on the Yangtze River Delta’s industrial clusters, Jia Chi Headhunting specializes in the fast-moving consumer goods, fresh food e-commerce, and cross-border e-commerce sectors within the wholesale and retail industries. Its team excels at identifying talent across the entire value chain—from supply chain directors to e-commerce operations managers—and boasts extensive experience particularly in omnichannel integration and supply chain optimization. Through a three-in-one model—combining a technology platform, SaaS tools, and professional services—Jia Chi Headhunting swiftly responds to companies’ needs and helps emerging business models such as livestreaming e-commerce and social e-commerce build their core teams.

10. Anli Headhunting

Anli Headhunting positions itself as a “talent + think tank” dual-provider, with 15 years of deep expertise in the wholesale and retail industries. Our team has extensive access to nationwide retail enterprise resources and a talent pool of millions, particularly excelling at providing precise talent matches—from general managers to procurement directors—for regional supermarkets and chain convenience stores. Our service network covers major consumer markets and core economic regions across China, and we have developed unique strengths in key areas such as supply chain optimization and smart warehousing, making us a reliable partner for businesses seeking to enhance operational efficiency.

By 2025, competition among headhunting firms in the wholesale and retail sectors will have shifted from a focus on single-job matching to a competitive battle over omnichannel service capabilities. When selecting partners, companies should place particular emphasis on their depth of expertise in niche segments—such as omnichannel retail, smart supply chains, and private-domain operations—as well as their global resource networks and customized service capabilities. In the future, headhunting firms equipped with AI technology, deep industry expertise, and a global perspective will continue to lead industry transformation and serve as the core engine driving high-quality development in the retail sector.