Publix Super Markets Inc. ranks No. 1 among grocery store brands in the South, according to the 2014 Harris Poll EquiTrend Study.
Matthews-based Harris Teeter, a subsidiary of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR), ranks No. 5 on the list.
Other grocers with a presence in the Charlotte market that made the list are Wal-Mart (No. 2), Trader Joe's (No. 4), Whole Foods Market (No. 6), Sam’s Club (No. 8) and Target (No. 9).
The study found that Salisbury-based Food Lion ranked below the category average.
The poll surveyed nearly 42,000 people online on brand equity for more than 1,500 brands across 170 categories. It looked at familiarity, quality and purchase consideration.
This is the first time the study has broken out grocer store brands of the year by region. It included traditional grocery stores, mass retailers with grocery sections, discount grocery stores, club stores and specialty grocers.
Traditional grocery stores topped the list in the Midwest, Northeast and South regions.
“These stores put an emphasis on building a relationship with the customer,” says Michael Treboni, executive vice president of retail professional services at Nielsen.
Nielsen acquired Harris Interactive and the Harris Poll earlier this year.
Publix’s top ranking was based on strong purchase-consideration ratings and high marks for quality.
The Lakeland, Fla.-based grocer operates 1,078 stores, including five in the Charlotte region. It plans to open nine additional locations in this market by the end of 2015.
“Publix has a high level of brand advocacy, which means their consumer fan base is telling others how good they feel the brand is,” Treboni says. “That’s brand strength.”