Australia's most (and least) trusted brands: From Bunnings to Woolworths - MASHAHER

Key Points

Australians trust Bunnings more than any other brand.
A Roy Morgan survey has ranked the most trusted and distrusted brands in Australia.
Optus is the most distruted brand according to the survey results.

Australians have a huge amount of trust for the shop often relied upon for screws and potting mix, yet have abandoned the confidence they once had in the supermarkets most people’s daily meals come from.

Bunnings has held onto the title of Australia’s most trusted brand in the June quarter, according to a Roy Morgan survey.

Bunnings is the most trusted brand in Australia. Source: Getty / Nadia Nusatea

More than 2,000 Australians are asked about which brands they trust and distrust as part of the quarterly risk monitor surveys, with the results providing rankings in both categories.

The big two supermarkets, Woolworths and Coles, ranked in the top five most distrusted brands.

Confidence in Bunnings

The garden and home maintenance outlet known for its support of fundraising sausage sizzles has ranked highly for trust since before the pandemic.

Bunnings has been the most trusted brand by Australians for the past year, according to the Roy Morgan surveys.

This year the company has run cross-promotions with the Australian children’s television show, Bluey, which features fictional hardware store Hammerbarn.

The ‘big-box retailer’ is the only brand from those ranked in the top three this time last year to remain.

At that time, Bunnings had been behind Woolworths and Coles as the most trusted brands. However, both supermarket giants are now among Australia’s five most distrusted brands for the first time.

Woolworths and Coles lose ground

Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said: “The rapid slide down the rankings for both major supermarkets — which have each slid more than 200 spots in the rankings this year — shows how quickly distrust can gain momentum and devalue a brand’s reputation.”

The retailers have faced criticism over sales tactics and big profit margins in the face of the rising cost of living, with both denying accusations of price gouging.

Woolworths lost the most ground from its position in the rankings just last quarter, slipping 194 places to be the fifth most distrusted brand in the three months to June.

That slide is similar to that experienced by Coles in the previous March quarter.

As recently as a year ago, both supermarkets were the two most trusted brands in the country.

Coles is now the fourth most distrusted brand.

Top three most trusted brands

Following Bunnings in the most trusted rankings are German supermarket brand Aldi, and Kmart, which positions itself as an affordable homewares, clothing, toys and electronics retailer.

Levine said the high trust ratings for Aldi, and independent grocer IGA which came in at number 13 most trusted, show: “The distrust for the two majors is not industry-wide, as it is their brands specifically which have become associated with ‘price gouging, high profits and corporate greed’ over the last year whereas as their closest competitors haven’t.”

While other supermarkets were among the most mistrusted brands, Aldi was among the most trusted. Source: Getty / Yau Ming Low

Toyota and Apple have switched places in the most trusted list since last year, coming in at fourth and fifth respectively. There was little other movement towards the top of the rankings.

Bendigo Bank and Nike both increased their standing, with the bank gaining two places and the sporting brand moving up six.

List showing the 10 most trusted brands: Bunnings, Aldi, Kmart, Toyota, Apple, Australia Post, Myer, Big W, NRMA, Samsung.

Source: SBS News

The companies Australians distrust

Telecommunications company Optus, which has remained the most distrusted brand in Australia.

Qantas has also failed to win back public trust since that included issues with service quality, the illegal sacking of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and .