UK dominates retail brand index

UK stores dominate the top 25 retail brands in Europe, according to an index unveiled by Interbrand at the World Retail Congress in Barcelona yesterday.

With eight retailers on the list, the UK has more entries than any other European country.

Top-performing UK retail brand Tesco ranks fourth after Swedish fashion store H&M, French hypermarket Carrefour and Swedish furniture giant Ikea.

Interbrand calculates that H&M has a brand value of €10.4bn (£8.3bn), while the Tesco brand is worth €5.6bn (£4.5bn). The brand value takes account of sales as well as mark-up and the retailer’s strength compared with its competitors.

Marks & Spencer takes fifth position, with a brand value of €5.1bn (£4.1bn), while Boots, Asda, the Body Shop, Argos, Sainsbury’s and The Carphone Warehouse also make it into the league table.

Interbrand reports that the only retail brand on the list that also appears on its Best Global Brands 2007 index is Spanish fashion retailer Zara.