These retail brands are tops in brand engagement

Soaring customer expectations are creating an increasingly challenging environment for brands seeking engagement.



That’s according to the 22nd annual Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, which recognizes the brands that receive the highest loyalty and engagement assessments and surpass competitors for "delighting" customers.



“Brand engagement’ is a measure of how well a brand meets expectations consumers hold for the path-to-purchase drivers in a given category,” said Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys. "Those drivers and expectations can be measured against a Category Ideal (100%) with brands best meeting consumers’ expectations generating greater loyalty and profits. Brands that cannot meet expectations lose customers and market share.”



This year, the Brand Keys study examined 83 categories including 740 brands – everything from OTC allergy medications to fast-casual dining to home improvement retail. Here are the top scoring retail brands:



Natural food stores: Trader Joe’s

Online retailer: Amazon

Apparel store: Zara

Department store: Nordstrom

Quick-serve restaurant: Chick-fil-A

Casual/fast casual dining:Panera Bread; Five Guys

Warehouse club: Costco

Discounter: Walmart

Home improvement: The Home Depot

Sporting goods: Big 5 Sporting Goods

Out-of-home coffee: Dunkin’ Donuts



To see a complete list of all the brands, click here.