Dive Brief:
- Supermarket operators fared particularly well in the 2022 Axios-Harris Poll 100, an annual ranking of U.S. companies’ standing with the public, with Trader Joe’s and H-E-B taking the first and second spots on the list, respectively.
- Wegmans, Publix and Kroger were also among the best performers in the poll, as all three of those grocery chains landed spots among the top 25.
- Companies’ ability to weather logistical bottlenecks was a key factor in how they fared in the poll, which reflects a survey of 33,096 people in the United States conducted from March 11 to April 3.
Dive Insight:
The success grocers have had in providing shoppers with mostly reliable access to products despite facing hurdles appears to be resonating with consumers as the shocks brought on by the pandemic reverberate across the economy.
Trader Joe’s and H-E-B scored atop the ranking of corporate reputations compiled by Axios and Harris this year after not appearing on the list in 2021 or 2020. Meanwhile, Wegmans, Publix and Kroger all ascended several positions from their positions on last year’s list, suggesting that supermarkets are continuing to burnish their image as trusted suppliers of essential goods during the pandemic.
“As Americans move on from COVID, they are looking at corporate reputation through a more practical lens,” said John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, in a statement. “Companies delivering on time and keeping their promises despite supply-chain issues are being held in high regard.”
Amazon claimed the No. 8 spot on the list, an improvement from its 10th-place finish in 2021. Costco also scored well in the poll, indicating that people are pleased with the club retailer’s performance in recent months. Still, the club retailer dropped 17 positions from 2021, to No. 26.
In addition to Trader Joe’s, H-E-B, Wegmans and Amazon, other companies that finished in the top 10 included outdoor goods retailers Patagonia, Hershey, and electronics giants Samsung and Sony. Automakers Toyota and Honda rounded out the group.
Walmart managed to move up six spots, to No. 77, continuing the improvement the retailer has recorded since 2020, when it slipped to the 85th spot on the list. But the mass merchant was well behind rival Target, which climbed nine spots in 2022, to No. 32.
The latest round of the annual assessment of corporate reputations released by Axios and Harris found that Amazon and Walmart — both of which play leading roles in grocery e-commerce — were the two most visible companies in the country, ahead of iconic tech brands like Apple, Facebook and Google.
The research evaluates people’s opinions of companies deemed to be the most visible in the U.S. across seven criteria: trust; vision, growth, products and services, culture, ethics and citizenship.
