And the top 20 retail back-to-school brands are…
New York -- Barnes & Noble claims the top position in a list of the most powerful “Back-to-School” retail brands, according to Tenet Partners’ Top 20 ranking.
Rounding out the top five: Target, Walmart, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Amazon.
The annual survey ranks brands by their “BrandPower,” a weighted composite of two key metrics that contribute to a brand’s ability to drive long-term growth: familiarity (awareness of the brand) and favorability the (perception of the brand among those who are well aware of it).)
Big-box retailers dominate the Top 20 ranking with a total of eight brands hailing from the category: Target (No. 2), Walmart (No. 3), Bed Bath & Beyond (No. 4), Kohl’s (No. 7), Ikea (No. 8), Best Buy (No. 9), Sam’s Club (No. 14) and Big Lots (No. 15).
Walmart, Ikea Best Buy, and Big Lots demonstrated particularly strong improvements, gaining year-over-year in both metrics. The report noted that a collective focus on digital and omnichannel innovation has allowed these traditional big box stores to reimagine their customers’ path to purchase.
“By offering new conveniences and incentives to shop both in-store and online, they have been able to remain competitive, while also alluring a key demographic: millennials,” the report said.
In other survey highlights:
• E-commerce giant Amazon (No. 5) demonstrates the strongest brand momentum, improving on both familiarity and favorability year-over-year.
Across the Top 20, the company earned the highest favorability score (71.3, just edging out Barnes & Noble’s 71.2).
• Apparel brands, including Old Navy (No. 6), Abercrombie & Fitch (No. 18), Aéropostale (No. 19) and Urban Outfitters (No. 20) struggle to remain relevant; representing some of the lowest ranked companies.
•
• Office supply stores grapple with increased competition from other big-box stores and e-retailer giants. Entering the Top 20 at No. 11 with a BrandPower of 52.1, Staples is the uncontested category leader. However, over the last few years, Staples has struggled to maintain its competitive advantage.
“While big-box retailers demonstrate the biggest gains on BrandPower, the key to their staying power will be continued innovations in digital and the omnichannel brand experience,” said Steve Makadok, partner of Tenet’s CoreBrand Analytics practice. “Brands falling out of favor with consumers and investors are struggling to keep pace with the change in retail. These brands would benefit from a renewed focus in three key areas: customer experience, product and brand innovation, as well as improvements across channels, including digital and mobile.”
Here is a complete listing of the Top 20 Back-to-School retail brands:
1. Barnes & Noble
2. Target
3. Walmart
4. Bed Bath & Beyond
5. Amazon.com
6. Old Navy
7. Kohl’s
8. Ikea
9. Best Buy
10. LensCrafters
11. Staples
12. Family Dollar Stores
13. Macy’s
14. Sam’s Club
15. Big Lots
16. Office Depot
17. OfficeMax
18. Abercrombie /Fitch
19. Aéropostale
20. Urban Outfitters