After a very long period in which men have dominated the senior executive positions in retailing, more women have now ascended to top positions.

As Laura Heller writes for FierceRetail:

“Change has been slow to come to retail. And that is why we chose to launch the FierceRetail inaugural list of the ‘Most Powerful Women in Retail.’ It’s heartening to see women in top leadership roles at leading retailers such as Apple, Sam’s Club, and TJX. It’s especially heartening to include Sam’s Club President and CEO Rosalind Brewer, whose media relations team has been a great advocate of her abilities and need for recognition. Brewer was invited to speak at Forbes’ Most Powerful Women Summit this year and is No. 65 on the list.”

“FierceRetail is a young publication and for our first list, we combed through corporate directories, cross-referenced other awards programs (including Forbes) and scoured women’s groups and organizations. In the end, we decided to feature only those women in president or CEO positions, and only those at traditional brick-and-mortar retailers.”

Here are FierceRetail’s 2015 top 10 most powerful women in retail (in alphabetical order):

• Laura Alber, Director, President, and CEO, Williams-Sonoma

• Angela Ahrendts, Senior VP of Retail and Online Stores, Apple

• Shari Ballard, President of U.S. Retail and Chief Human Resources Officer, Best Buy

• Rosalind G. Brewer, President and CEO, Sam’s Club

• Lizanne Kindler, CEO, Talbots

• Kay Krill, President and CEO, Ann Inc.

• Carol Meyrowitz, Chairman and CEO, TJX Companies, Inc.

• Barbara Rentler, CEO and Director, Ross Stores

• Laura Sen, President and CEO, BJ’s Wholesale Club

• LuAnn Via, President and CEO, Christopher & Banks