BRANDS CONSUMERS CAN TRUST
Reader’s Digest’s Trusted Brands Awards celebrate the brands New Zealanders trust most — as voted entirely by consumers.
Now in its 27th year in New Zealand, the program is built on a long-standing global legacy of trust. Each year, thousands of New Zealanders are independently surveyed by a third-party research firm, ensuring a truly representative and unbiased reflection of consumer sentiment. Brands cannot apply for or pay to be included — winners are determined solely by a statistically significant majority of votes.
At its core, Trusted Brands is the people’s award. It captures authentic, real-world feedback on the brands that consistently deliver on their promises. Through rigorous and transparent methodology, the results provide meaningful insight into what drives trust — one of the most powerful and often subconscious factors in consumer decision-making.
A Trusted Brand balances international strength with local relevance. It connects with consumers on an individual level while maintaining the reliability, integrity and consistency that underpin long-term loyalty. While factors such as price, quality and desirability influence choice, it is trust that ultimately reassures consumers they are making the right decision.
More than just an award, Trusted Brands is a data-driven benchmark of credibility — recognising those brands that earn and sustain consumer confidence by staying true to their core values.
BRAND SHOWCASE
Confectionery,Most Trusted Of All Brands Surveyed,New Zealand Iconic Brand
Aged Care & Retirement Villages
Barbecues
Beds
Biscuits
Breakfast Foods
Car Care Products
Charities
Charities
Cleaning Products
Cleaning Products
Cookies
Curtain & Blind Installers
Curtain & Blind Installers
Curtain & Blind Installers
DIY Power Tools
Dog Foods
Early Childhood Centres
Early Childhood Centres
Funeral Insurance
Garages & Sleepouts
General Insurance (home, contents, car)
Health Insurance
Hearing Services
Hearing Services
Heat Pumps
Heat Pumps
Home Builders
Home Health Care
Home Health Care
Home Health Care
Home Ventilation Systems
Kitchen Designers & Manufacturers
Laundry Detergents
Lawnmowers
Lawnmowers
Life Insurance
Life Insurance
Muesli & Snack Bars
Optometrists
Pain Relief
Paints
Pet Insurance
Real Estate Agencies
Solar Panel Installers
Spa Pools & Saunas
Spa Pools & Saunas
Specialist KiwiSaver Providers
Sunscreens
Travel Insurance
Tyres
Used Vehicle Dealerships
Used Vehicle Dealerships
Used Vehicle Dealerships
Vitamins & Supplements
MOST TRUSTED
*of all brands
surveyed
METHODOLOGY
How Our Trusted Brands Survey Was Conducted"
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Catalyst Research
The 2026 Trusted Brands survey was independently conducted by leading research company Catalyst Research. It invited a sample of about 1788 Kiwi adults, from every state and territory, to rate the brands they trust the most. They scored over 69 categories of products and services across a broad range of industries.
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Scoping
Brands included in the list to be rated were generated by asking consumers in New Zealand for their most trusted brands. This was an unprompted question to ensure the rating of top brands in each category, as selected by Kiwis, was without prejudice.
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Consumers Voting
Each respondent was required to complete an online questionnaire. Catalyst Research asked each participant to rate the brands they trust for each category. They then have to rate which is their most trusted brand of that category and then have to write in words why.
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Trusted Brand Rating
Each category contains one Winner, and two Highly Commended brands. These brands scored higher in their respective categories than the other brands polled.
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2026 Results
We are confident that the results of the 2026 Reader's Digest Trusted Brands survey provide a truly accurate measurement of New Zealand consumer sentiment.