Brand Finance’s latest data reveals four Chinese brands crack into the global top 15 strongest retail brands ranking
BEIJING, 9 April 2025 – JD.com, Meituan, Taobao and Tmall assert their influence as among the top 15 strongest retail brands globally, according to the latest Retail 100 2025 report by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy.
JD.com (brand value up 5% to USD18.8 billion), climbed 18 places to rank as the second strongest retail brand in the world. The brand achieved a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 92.3/100 and improved its brand strength rating from AAA- to AAA+. This growth stems from the brand’s ability to seamlessly meet local consumer needs while maintaining a strong reputation. Its use of virtual reality and strategic partnerships have been instrumental in driving deeper consumer engagement through innovative experiences.
Meituan (brand value up 37% to USD11.7 billion) made an impressive 46-place leap to rank as the fourth strongest retail brand globally. The brand recorded a BSI score of 90.5/100 and achieved a brand strength rating to AAA+, an upgrade from AA+ last year. This growth was primarily driven by the brand’s increased appeal and consideration in its home market, through marketing initiatives like low-cost delivery and investments in drone deliveries.
In spite of a notable drop in brand value, Taobao (brand value down 41% to USD11.9 billion) made a significant leap by rising 40 places to become the ninth strongest retail brand globally. The brand recorded a BSI score of 89.3/100 and improved its brand strength rating from AA+ to AAA. With the integration of Alipay, which enhanced consumer trust and appeal, coupled with initiatives like social commerce and live-streaming e-commerce are the main drivers behind Taobao’s perseverance in the ranking.
Another brand that saw a sizeable drop in brand value, Tmall (brand value down 40% to USD11.3 billion) ranked as the 12th strongest brand this year with an impressive 41-place jump. The brand posted a BSI score of 89.2/100 and elevated its brand strength rating from AA to AAA. Tmall’s perseverance highlights its strong focus on local consumer engagement during peak demand periods, supported by an established infrastructure that simplifies market entry for international brands eager to tap into the Chinese market.
Scott Chen, Managing Director, Brand Finance China, commented
"Chinese retail giants like JD.com, Meituan, Taobao, Tmall and Pinduoduo have demonstrated remarkable adaptability in leveraging government stimulus initiatives to drive growth. By aligning their marketing strategies with consumer needs and embracing technology-driven innovations, these companies are not only meeting demand but also building greater consumer confidence. Their ability to innovate and engage with customers, combined with the support of government policies, positions them well for continued success as the Chinese market recovers.”
Making a strong debut in the retail ranking this year, Pinduoduo (brand value at USD13 billion) ranked 17th among the top 100 global retail brands. This strong showing was driven by accelerated revenue growth, largely fuelled by its successful low-price strategy that met consumer demand. Additionally, its strategic international expansion through Temu further boosted revenue.
Global Insights
Global e-commerce titan Amazon remains the world’s most valuable retail brand for the 10th consecutive year. In 2025, its brand value grew 15% to USD356.4 billion, making it the fourth most valuable brand in the world.
Swedish grocery chain ICA has entered the ranking for the first time and claimed the title of the world’s strongest retail brand, with a brand value of USD1.8 billion and a BSI score of 93.2/100.
Australia’s Kmart is the fastest-growing brand in the sector globally, with a 79% increase in brand value to USD2.2 billion.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
