Trader Joes Bags Spot at the Top of Retail for MBLM’s Brand Intimacy 2022 Study
12th annual study finds grocer bested H&M, Sephora, Whole Foods and others with broader and deeper customer connections
The top retail rankings from MBLM’s 12th annual Brand Intimacy Study show Trader Joe’s outperformed 21 brands in its category, with a strong association to the indulgence archetype, centered around moments of pampering and gratification, as well as 50% of its customers having an emotional connection with the brand.
Trader Joe’s ranking is the grocer’s first entry in the largest study of brands measuring emotional connections. The retail industry ranked third overall, behind technology & telecom, and media & entertainment as measured through MBLM’s artificial intelligence-driven analysis of 1.4 billion words used by consumers in discussions surrounding more than 600 Brands. Trader Joe’s ranked 7 among 600+ brands in the study, ahead of other retailers that made it into the top 20, including Costco, H&M, and Amazon.
When it comes to retail Brand Intimacy, keywords used most often are ‘delicious’ and ‘tasty,’ for Trader Joe’s and runner-up Costco. Trader Joe’s emerged as the more intimate brand, however, with better performance across the identity, ritual, and indulgence archetypes, as well as demonstrating better connectivity with customers though all three Brand Intimacy stages.
“Trader Joe’s is winning customer hearts and minds not only as the highest performing retailer in MBLM’s Brand Intimacy 2022 Study, but also among the top 10 out of hundreds of brands across industries,” stated Mario Natarelli, managing partner, MBLM. “Its focus on unique offerings, affordable prices, friendly staff and creating its own unique ethos, is effectively connecting with customers, who see it as a preferred alternative to generic, anonymous grocery store brands.”
The Top Retail Rankings in MBLM Brand Intimacy Study 2022. Click for details on retailer rankings.
- Trader Joe’s (Retail Grocery)
- Costco (Bix Box Retail)
- H&M (Clothing Retail)
- Amazon (E-commerce Retail)
- Whole Foods (Supermarket Retail)
- Waitrose & Partners (Supermarket Retail)
- Aldi (Supermarket Retail)
- Ebay (E-commerce Retail)
- Walmart (Big Box Retail)
- Ikea (Furniture Retail)
- Sephora (Beauty Retail)
- The Home Depot (Home Improvement Retail)
- Marks & Spencer (Clothing Retail)
- Nordstrom (Luxury Retail)
- Target (Big-Box Retail)
- Lowe’s (Home Improvement Retail)
- 7-Eleven (Retail Convenience Stores)
- Macy’s (High-end retail)
- Boots (Health and Beauty Retail)
- Bloomingdale’s (Luxury Retail)
- Neiman Marcus (Luxury Retail)
- Saks Fifth Avenue (Luxury Retail)
To see more about Trader Joe’s performance, as well as more detail on H&M and Ikea, MBLM has also released on article, “Retail Roundup.”
Overall, the study shows that consumers have increased the brands they are forming emotional connections with by 9% since the pandemic started. They are also building deeper connections with those brands, as brand performance has increased by 19% since COVID, highlighting that people are bonding with brands more deeply.
To download the Brand Intimacy 2022 Study or explore the rankings click here.
Methodology
To read the study methodology, click here.
About MBLM
MBLM invented Brand Intimacy, the emotional science behind the brands we use and love. For our clients, we deliver expertise and value through our agency insights, services, and software offerings.
With offices in five countries, our multidisciplinary teams invent, transform, and enhance brands for businesses of every kind. We deliver marketing that creates stronger emotional connections with stakeholders. These bonds create better performance and long-term returns. To learn more about how we can help you create and sustain ultimate brand relationships, visit mblm.com.
