Of course, most U.S. shoppers have heard of Best Buy, while Cabela’s, the outdoor retailer that sells everything from fishing rods to hunting boots, is likely an unfamiliar name to many. No matter.
While the consumer electronics chain still has brand-name recognition going for it, its relevance in the retail landscape is trickling away like sand through an hourglass, while the lesser-known Cabela’s is quietly carving a niche among lovers of the great outdoors.
That’s some of what Interbrand’s 2013 Best Retail Brands Report revealed.
The annual report from the brand consultancy, released today, ranks the 50 most valuable U.S. retail brands, as well as the leading store brands from around the world.
It also shines a spotlight on the biggest gainers this year stateside in terms of brand equity (Macy’s, Amazon), chains that are building momentum, marked by newcomers on the list, (Anthropologie, Cabela’s), as well as stores whose brand value has waned (Abercrombie & Fitch), and ones that have fallen off the list entirely (Toys “R” Us).
Taken together, the shifts paint a macro picture of the trends bubbling at the stores we shop.
Interbrand’s brand valuations are based on the firm’s analysis of the financial performance of a retailer, the role a brand plays in shoppers’ purchasing decision and the competitive strength of a brand.
Here’s a look at the retailers that made the most dramatic moves on the list this year, for better or worse.
Macy’s
Macy’s zoomed up the list more than any other retailer, increasing its brand value by 62 percent to rank 40, up from 49 last year, according to Interbrand.
The retailer’s decision nearly a decade ago to drop all of its regional department store nameplates -- from the Bon Marche in Florida to Marshall Field’s in Chicago – and convert them to the Macy’s brand has paid off, despite ample criticism at the time that the stores would lose their local flavor, Interbrand executives told Forbes.com, in an exclusive interview.
“It’s truly validated their commitment to a single brand strategy across markets in the U.S.,” said Justin Wartell, managing director of Interbrand Design Forum, Interbrand’s retail arm.
In turn, the department store has honed a consistent, “best-in-class, omni-channel” message via its brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce and mobile sites, firing on all cylinders with compelling merchandising initiatives, trend-right fashions, and by leveraging a roster of brands that appeal to its diverse shopping base -- be they Michael Kors or Rachael Ray, he said.
Also on Forbes: 10 Comeback Brands Of 2013
Amazon
The e-commerce pioneer’s brand value soared 46 percent, climbing to secure the number four spot on the list, up from nine in 2012.
Amazon continues to “demonstrate an understanding -- in an incredibly intimate and specific way – of how consumers buy the products they choose and how [to be] relevant to those customers,” Jez Frampton, global CEO of Interbrand, told Forbes.com.
“And from a business standpoint, they continue to steal away [market] share held by retailers ranging from grocery chains to electronic retailers.”
When it comes to Amazon’s success, it’s no secret that the retailer has been the biggest beneficiary of showrooming, when shoppers browse brick-and-mortar stores to check out potential purchases, only to buy them later from online merchants at lower prices.
At the same time, Amazon is looking for new ways to up the ante, such as expanding its same-day delivery service.
And the retailer that transformed the way people buy books and electronics is now tackling new categories, such as fashion and beauty.
Best Buy
Best Buy fell out of the top 10 for the first time in the five-year life of the study, ranking number 13.
The retailer is battling concept obsolescence, as many shoppers are opting to buy their consumer electronics online, just as sales of everything from flat screen TVs to video games and DVD players muddle through a funk.
And of course, there’s the elephant in the room.
“They are suffering at the hands of showrooming and they’re not adding value at the store level” to counter that encroachment, Frampton said.
Cabela’s
Cabela’s makes its debut on the list at number 49.
The superstore, which has been riding a wave of quarterly sales gains, prides itself on delivering superior customer service, proving that “one killer [shopping] experience matters a great deal,” Wartell said. “They offer an attractive experience for that target customer that’s connected to the outdoors, hunting and fishing, that’s almost like a Disneyland for those individuals.”
Toys “R” Us
The toy chain fell off the list this year. The retailer has been burned by consumers’ perception that Wal-Mart, Target and even Amazon offer lower toy prices, and in turn, has lost market share.
Jerry Storch, who announced plans last month to step down as CEO of the chain, told Forbes in November that he was infuriated by that price perception, arguing that Toys “R” Us is competitive with the big chains on like product, and that comparisons are doubly unfair, because the specialty retailer sells a wide assortment of exclusives unavailable at the mass merchants.
Whatever the case, the perception is clearly not driving customers through their doors, Wartell said.
What’s more, Toys “R” Us has failed to create a meaningfully differentiated store experience from what can be found in other brick-and-mortar stores or online, he added.
Abercrombie & Fitch
The once-dominant teen retailer also fell off the list this year.
Abercrombie & Fitch’s sexy, California party vibe has fallen out of favor with its core shoppers, many of whom have ditched it for lower priced chains ranging from American Eagle Outfitters to fast-fashion retailers like H&M.
Although Abercrombie has been working to update its image of late, the failure to adapt to the changing tastes of young, fickle shoppers has damaged its brand equity, Frampton said.
Five to 10 years ago, Abercrombie’s “club on the inside, catwalk on the outside” retail formula captured the imagination of its core, teen demographic, he said.
But this group “gets very bored very quickly.”
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