A few years ago, I bought an expensive Patagonia ski jacket, but after a couple of seasons, it stopped repelling water.
I called a customer service rep and asked if there was a spray or rinse or something I could coat the fabric with so I could wear it in wet weather.
“No,” she said. “But send the jacket back, and we’ll replace it.”
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I’ve since learned the company offers a lifetime warranty and free repairs for the life of their products.
So when my dog ripped a hole in my down jacket sending feathers flying everywhere, Patagonia stuffed it with new feathers and sewed it up. For free. When the same dog chewed a hole in my daughter’s backpack, Patagonia patched it up and made it look as good as new. For free.
Because of those interactions, I’m a Patagonia customer for life.
Trader Joe’s products aren’t as expensive as Patagonia’s but I’ve returned flowers that didn’t bloom, strawberries that got moldy within 48 hours of bringing them home, and chips that were crushed when I opened the bag.
TJ’s always happily offers refunds or replacements for unsatisfactory products. (By the way, I don’t bring back the flowers or gross food; I take a photo and show it to the manager the next time I’m in the store.)
These happen to be two brands I’m unwaveringly loyal to. So it makes perfect sense to me that both Trader Joe’s and Patagonia just won some major accolades.
Trader Joe’s and Patagonia are beloved by customers
Trader Joe’s may have best snacks, but they also have a reputation that should make competitors jealous. With a sky-high reputational quotient (RQ) score of 82.1, the fan-favorite grocery chain claimed the top spot in the 2025 Axios Harris Corporate Reputation Poll of 100 companies.
Patagonia came in a close second with an 82.0, followed by big names like Microsoft, Toyota, Costco, and Samsung.
Related: Trader Joe’s makes big Costco-style bet in growing market
The poll gathered insights from over 16,000 Americans, who rated companies across key categories like trust, ethics, culture, and overall customer experience.
Trader Joe’s is known for being a budget-friendly grocer, in large part because of the number of private-label products it sells. Putting consumers first paid off: Trader Joe’s saw the sixth-largest reputation boost (+3.5) this year, catapulting it to the number one spot. Consumers clearly appreciate a brand that’s got their back when prices are rising.
Trader Joe’s and Patagonia are tops; here are the best of the rest
When it comes to reputation, quality still reigns supreme. American consumers say it’s the most important thing they consider when judging a company’s reputation, followed by customer service, how companies treat employees, and pricing.
In fact, 79% believe the best brands are the ones that put consumers’ wallets first, which is probably why Costco is number five on this list.
Related: Trader Joe’s launches limited-time products sure to sell out
Here’s the not-so-great news for retailers nationwide: nearly half of consumers (48%) say the quality of goods and services is lagging behind rising prices, while only 22% feel they’re getting better value.
Even more striking, 69% of respondents reported noticing a decline in perceived quality overall. Tesla has slid in the rankings over the last couple of years. Tesla was No. 8 in the 2021 reputation ranking and now comes in at 95 — ouch.
Here are the top 25:
- Trader Joe’s
- Patagonia
- Microsoft
- Toyota Motor Corp.
- Costco
- Samsung
- Arizona Beverage Company
- Nvidia
- UPS
- Apple
- John Deere
- Nintendo
- Honda Motor Company
- Fidelity Investments
- The Home Depot
- USAA
- Sony
- Kraft Heinz Company
- Amazon.com
- In-N-Out Burger
- JPMorgan Chase
- Under Armour
- Lowe’s
- Ben and Jerry’s
- Coca-Cola
Across the board, nearly half of company reputations took a hit this year. Consumers called out businesses for passing along higher costs, cutting back on quality, and in some cases, using tariffs as an excuse to pad profits.
You’ll find the other companies that round out the top 100 companies on the Harris/Axios poll here.
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