Kmart Australia’s GM of marketing Rennie Freer has accepted Roy Morgan’s 2022 award for the most trusted department store.
In a social media post, Freer said it was a privilege to accept the award on behalf of Kmart’s 44,000 strong team.
“Every one of the Kmart team contributes to this, as trust can only be gained and importantly retained by being consistent and transparent in everything that we as a team do,” Freer said. “And with customers at the heart of all we do, we are proud and thankful to them for this recognition.
“Thanks to Roy Morgan and kudos to all of the other brands recognised.”
The Roy Morgan Trusted Brand Awards recognised 20 brands across a range of different industries and services including supermarkets, retail, department and discount department stores, services and more.
There were several of the Trusted Brand Award winners to appear in the overall Top 20 Most Trusted Brands in the most recent quarter, led by Woolworths, Bunnings, Kmart, Toyota, ABC, NRMA, Bendigo Bank and Australia Post – all of which reportedly scored highly for the top spot.
The ultimate winner for the ‘Best of the Best’ Most Trusted Brand for 2022 was Woolworths.
Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said that Kmart and Bunnings trailed closely behind Woolworths for the ‘Best of the Best’ Most Trusted Brand award.
“All three have enjoyed consistently high Net Trust Scores over the last two years, and it is no surprise to see all three emerge as winners.”
Levine further noted that 2022 has been a transitional period for Australians as the country slowly opened up after more than two years of restrictions from COVID-19.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has turned many norms ‘up-side down’ over the last two years, but the importance to brands of building trust, and minimising distrust, among one’s customers, and the wider public, has never been more important,” Levine said.
“The pandemic led to saving rates in Australia booming over the last two years as restrictions on travel, and several harsh lockdowns in various parts of the country, forced people to save money and find new outlets for that spending.
“Although this unexpected windfall could not always be spent on the recreational and personal activities people would usually undertake, leading retail outlets were able to take advantage of the last two years and cement their reputations and brands in the minds of consumers."
The full list of winners and their categories are:
Supermarkets: Woolworths
Retail: Bunnings
Department & Discount Department Stores: Kmart
Consumer Products: Samsung
Services: Australia Post
Charities: Salvation Army
Technology: Apple
Travel & Tourism: Qantas
Food & Beverage: Cadbury
Automotive: Toyota
Non-Bank Financial Services: PayPal
Superannuation: AustralianSuper
Insurance: NRMA
Private Health Insurance: HBF
Utilities: Red Energy
Government Services: CSIRO
Media: ABC
Mining & Petroleum: Fortescue Metals
Banks: Bendigo Bank
Telecommunications: Aussie Broadband