Wegmans ranks No. 2 behind Amazon in Harris reputation survey

Four grocery retailers with strong private brands made the top 10 list in the just-released Harris Poll Reputation Quotient (RQ) study. Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans Food Markets, which ranked No. 2 overall behind Amazon, leads all other supermarket chains, according to the report.

Also on the list, San Antonio, Texas-based H-E-B came in sixth place. It’s H-E-B’s first time to be ranked among the top 10 in the 19-year-old Harris Poll RQ survey. In addition, Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix Super Market ranked No. 8 and Batavia, Ill.-headquartered Aldi U.S., No. 10.

The Harris Poll RQ study identifies the 100 most visible companies identified by U.S. consumers and ranks these companies based on their reputation in six different categories: emotional appeal, products and services, social responsibility, vision and leadership, workplace environment, and financial performance.

"The RQ 2018 study reveals that consumers are increasingly interested in what a company stands for, how they engage with society and their community," said John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll. "In this new world, reputation is a verb. Brands are emerging with a new moral authority — equal parts capitalist and activist — and are capturing the imagination of investors, talent and the buying public, while rewriting the rules of what a 'public company' truly means today."