YouGov has released its Retail Rankings 2021 listing the top ten retail brands that enjoy the best brand health among residents of the UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. 

The brands were ranked based on their Index score, which is a measure of overall brand health calculated by taking the average of Impression, Quality, Value, Satisfaction, Recommend, and Reputation over a period of 12 months.​

UAE highlights

The rankings in the UAE are divided into two sub-categories: Online & Offline Retailers and Sportswear & Apparel.

Within the ‘Online & Offline Retailers’ category, Carrefour tops the UAE rankings with an Index score of +42.2. Swedish furniture giant IKEA is placed second (33.1), followed by the UAE’s retail major Lulu Hypermarket in third (30.8). Amazon.ae secures fourth place (26.8), while Amazon’s paid subscription program Amazon Prime appears in ninth (18.0). Homegrown brands such as Noon.com (23.9), Sharaf DG (22.3), ADNOC (18.6), and UnionCoop (14.8) are also featured, amidst a host of global names. Finally, Swedish clothing retail company H&M is placed seventh (19.4).

Adidas is the top performer in the ‘Sports & Apparel’ category (with an Index score of 50.8). The brand recently launched its all-women store in the UAE, further strengthening its position among female consumers in the country. Nike is placed second (46.6), followed by Skechers in third (29.4) and Reebok in fourth (27.3). H&M re-appears in fifth (24.9) and German sport-lifestyle brand Puma occupies sixth place (24.1). Under Armour (18.4), American Eagle (17.7), New Balance (11.8), and Fila (10.9) are other notable global brands appearing in the UAE’s top ten list for the Sports & Apparel category.

KSA highlights

The rankings in KSA are divided into two sub-categories: Retailers and Sportswear & Apparel.

Under the ‘Retailers’ category, the top ten list is dominated by regional brands, with the exception of Ikea (28.8). Saudi Arabia’s famous bookstore retail chain Jarir takes the top spot and emerges as the healthiest brand with an Index score of +35.4. KSA’s popular grocery retailer Panda is placed third (26.3), followed by eXtra in fourth (26.2), Al-Nahdi in fifth (25.1), Al Othaim in seventh (22.5), and SACO in eighth place (22.2). Fashion chain Centrepoint appears in the list in sixth (23.7), and Middle East’s popular retail brands Lulu Hypermarket (19.5) and Danube (19.1) take the ninth and tenth places.

The ‘Sports & Apparel’ category rankings feature Adidas as the top brand. The brand’s 50th-anniversary collaboration with prominent women and its strong messaging around womens’ empowerment may have resonated with the public, strengthening its position among consumers in the country. Another global sportswear brand, Nike, is placed second (36.8), followed by Sketchers (31.3), Puma (22.7), and Reebok (14.5) occupying the third, fourth, and fifth place respectively. Finally, completing the top ten list for KSA for Sportswear & Apparel category are Under Armour (7.4), Fila (6.4), New Balance (5.0), Asics (4.0), and Canada’s yoga-inspired, athletic apparel company Lululemon (2.4).

Egypt highlights

Carrefour tops the ranking in Egypt with an Index score of 28.1. Popular retail brand Souq.com (23.6), recently relaunched as Amazon Egypt, is second in the list, followed by its parent company Amazon.com in third (18.2).

Egypt’s local grocery brand Aswaq Fathallah Markets (17.1) occupies fourth place followed by HyperOne (15.5) and Jumia.com (15.4). Swedish home furniture and accessories brand IKEA, having recently opened doors to its second large-format store in Egypt, finds itself in eighth place (12.7). Other notable homegrown brands that complete the top ten for Egypt are Awlad Ragab (14.8), B.Tech (12.6), and Kazyon (11.7).