Shoppers are most loyal to these brands

Two online brands and an iconic American designer top a list of retail brands that command the most loyalty among consumers.



Amazon, Zappos and Ralph Lauren were the top loyalty leaders in the retail segment in the 20th annual Brand Keys Loyalty Leaders List. The ranking, which is 100% consumer-driven, examined 72 categories and 635 brands. Rounding out the top five in retail: Sephora and Trader Joe’s.



Across all categories, Google took the #1 spot, followed by Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Facebook.



Of the top 100 brands that make up the ranking, 17 were retail companies, with a number of different sectors—from online to wholesale club—represented. (See list at end of article.)



“The shifts in loyalty leadership in the retail have been monumental over the past couple of years," said Robert Passikoff, founder and president, Brand Keys founder and president, "But the retail category is still well-represented this year when it comes to leading loyalty."



This year, among retail brands the greatest loyalty gains among consumers was for Ralph Lauren. Macy’s, which had appeared on the 2015 Loyalty Leaders List, failed to make the top 100 this year.



“Loyalty is a leading-indicator of positive consumer behavior toward brands,” Passikoff said. “But it is getting more difficult for all brands to create the kind of emotional engagement that resonates with consumers’ desires for connection and distinction, tailored to ever-increasing consumer expectations.”



Here are the 17 brands that make up the top loyalty leaders in retail in the 2016 Brankd Keys survey (the Numbers in parentheses represent their ranking in the overall list):



1. Amazon (#2)

2. Zappos (#20)

3. Ralph Lauren (#24)

4. Sephora (#26)

5. Trader Joe’s (#37)

6. Sam’s Club (#47)

7. Old Navy (#53)

8. Victoria’s Secret (#58)

9. eBay (#64)

10. Whole Foods (#67)

11. T.J. Maxx (#69)

12. J. Crew (#70)

13. Costco (#77)

14. Forever 21 (#83)

15. Home Depot (#84)

16. GAP (#93)

17. Lowe’s (#99)