In a tech era obsessed with inventing new ways to fool people, fostering consumer trust has never been more important for brands — and some are doing it better than others.
So enters the third installment of “Most Trustworthy Companies in America,” released Tuesday. The annual report, from Newsweek and Statista, ranks brands across nearly two dozen industries, from the retail business to the energy sector.
“The third annual Most Trustworthy Companies in America celebrates the unwavering commitment of companies that prioritize integrity, transparency and reliability,” said Josh Smith, director of growth and strategic partnerships at Newsweek, in a statement.
Levi’s came in at number one on the “Textiles, Clothing & Luxury Goods” segment, while Procter & Gamble clinched the “Consumer Goods” category. Tops on the retail chart was pet-loving platform Chewy, beating out Amazon and Costco, followed by Ulta Beauty.
The report — which covers 25,000 U.S. residents and 97,000 submitted evaluations of companies — took multiple steps, including vetting businesses for basic criteria. All the companies, public or private, must be headquartered in the U.S. and have revenue of more than $500 million. The researchers also factored in social listening, parsing online media for positive, neutral or negative sentiment at a level of more than 532,000 mentions. Then they filtered for recent scandals or lawsuits that could influence levels of trust.
In the end, 700 companies made the cut, and WWD spotted a few familiar names in the mix.
Textiles, Clothing and Luxury Goods
#1 Levi Strauss
#2 Under Armour
#3 American Eagle Outfitters
#4 Carter’s
#5 Tiffany & Co.
#6 New Balance
#7 Nike
#8 Skechers
#9 Designer Brands
#10 Crocs
#11 Columbia
#12 Callaway
#13 Urban Outfitters
#14 Vans
#15 Hanes
#16 Wolverine World Wide
#17 Timex
#18 Duluth Holdings
#19 Fanatics
#20 Fossil Group
#21 Steve Madden
#22 The Children’s Place
#23 Talbots
#24 Capelli
#25 Movado Group
#26 Oxford Industries
#27 Lands’ End
#28 Victoria’s Secret
#29 Boot Barn
#30 Acushnet Company
#31 Ralph Lauren
#32 Eddie Bauer
#33 American Apparel
Consumer Goods
#1 Procter & Gamble
#5 Bath & Body Works
#7 SC Johnson
#10 Sally Beauty
#29 Warby Parker
#30 Estée Lauder
#38 Neutrogena
Retail
#1 Chewy
#2 Amazon
#3 Costco
#12 Ulta Beauty
#23 L.L. Bean
#24 Benefit Cosmetics
#27 Target
#39 Nordstrom
#47 Walmart
#59 Kate Spade
#61 Macy’s
#64 Stitch Fix
“As we continue to navigate a complex business landscape, these honorees serve as beacons of trust, embodying values that resonate with consumers and stakeholders alike,” Smith added.
Whether that trust transfers to investors — or actual sales — remains to be seen. Take Levi Strauss & Co., for instance. The jeans company is set to report its first-quarter financial results on Wednesday, and analysts are bracing for a projected downturn in earnings, as compared to its performance this time last year. The next set of financials could see a bounce, though, thanks to Beyoncé. The superstar gave a shout-out to the brand in “Levii’s Jeans,” a track on her new “Cowboy Carter” album, and certainly a lot of people put their trust in the Queen Bee.
