Canadians Trust These Brands The Most, But Do Your Faves Make The Cut?

Almost every Canadian has brands they trust individually. They'll only buy tools, clothes, or even ice cream from one company or another. So what are Canada's most trusted brands, anyway? Well, according to a yearly study by the University of Victoria, several of them aren't even originally Canadian.

While the companies that top the list, Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) and CAA are Canadian, there are still a few American companies that fill out the top ten. Those American companies include Costco, Band-Aid, and Columbia sportswear. Oddly enough, while Home Depot makes the list, it is actually tied with Home Hardware, its purely Canadian counterpart.

Other Canadian companies on the list include Shoppers Drug Mart, Canadian Tire, and Interac. Surprisingly, Interac sits near the bottom of the list, despite the fact that debit and credit machines are pretty much everywhere.

Outside of the University of Victoria report, Reader's Digest and Ipsos also conducted a poll on the most trusted companies in Canada in certain categories. Canadian companies on that list include Jamieson, TD Canada Trust, and Bausch + Lomb.

So which companies didn't make either list but are still trusted by Canadians? One Reddit user pointed to Chapmans Ice Cream as a company that should be setting corporate standards. 

It's true that Chapmans really does strive to let everyone enjoy its products. Along with traditional ice cream and frozen yogurt, Chapmans also makes products that are lactose-free, gluten-free, and nut-free.

Another user pointed to Stanfield's, a Canadian clothing company. However, their praise was less about the product (which was great, anyway) and more about the service from the company.

If anything, these lists and Reddit responses show that Canadians value integrity in certain brands, as well as good customer service. Beyond that, companies like Chapmans show that even a major corporation can treat its employees and its customers with respect and still thrive.

Any company that wants to make the list next year should take note of what these brands do right and try to copy them as much as possible. Then again, plenty of Canadian brands can keep falling short and still make money. Hopefully, more companies take the high road in the future, even if it affects profits.

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