Which brands win Hongkongers' hearts in 2026?

UNIQLO has topped YouGov's recommend rankings, emerging as Hong Kong's most recommended brand for 2026, with 82.4% of its consumers saying they would recommend it to others.

The rankings are based on YouGov BrandIndex’s positive recommend score, which measures the percentage of a brand’s customers who would recommend it to a friend or colleague for the last 12 months, 

UNIQLO tops the list with strong scores across the board: 83.1% for impression, 79.5% for quality, 74.1% for value, 85.7% for satisfaction, and 69.4% for reputation.

Taking second place is Emirates with an 81.7% positive recommendation score, followed by CHANEL (80.8%), Shiseido (80.3%), SK-II (80.3%), Nike (80.1%), and Olay (80.1%). Next come Zara (79%) and Four Seasons (78.5%), with JD.com rounding out the list at 78.3%.

On the other hand, YouGov has also rounded off Hong Kong's most improved brands, based on year-on-year increases in positive recommend scores among current customers. Cathay topped the list with a 13-point gain, followed by Maxim's Chinese Restaurants (+11.1 points), Chow Tai Fook Life (+9.9 points), Blue Cross (+9.5 points), IKEA (+9.1 points), Sun Life (+8.2 points), SK-II (+7.7 points), Vaseline (+7.7 points), UNIQLO (+7.4 points), and finally HSBC (+7 points).

YouGov also broke down the rankings by industry, highlighting the leading brands in categories such as quick service restaurants (QSR), eCommerce and mobile commerce (mCommerce), and airlines. In the QSR category, Sen-ryo Sushi came out on top with a 69.3% positive recommend score among current customers, followed by SimplyLife (69%), Delifrance (68.8%), Dough Bros (68.8%), and Spaghetti House (67.7%).

YouGov also broke down the rankings by industry, highlighting the leading brands in categories such as quick service restaurants (QSR), eCommerce and mobile commerce (mCommerce), and airlines. In the QSR category, Sen-ryo Sushi came out on top with a 69.3% positive recommend score among current customers, followed by SimplyLife (69%), Delifrance (68.8%), Dough Bros (68.8%), and Spaghetti House (67.7%).

In the eCommerce and mCommerce space, UNIQLO came out on top with an 82.4% positive recommend score among current customers, followed by JD.com (78.3%), Amazon (77.3%), yuu online (76.1%), and Tmall (73.1%). Meanwhile, in the airline category, Emirates led the pack with an 81.7% positive recommend score among current customers, trailed by Singapore Airlines (77.5%), Qatar Airways (74.3%), Cathay Pacific (72.5%), and Air China (71%).

How Hongkongers share their brand experiences

When it comes to consumer sentiments, YouGov uncovered some interesting insights: 89% of Hongkongers said they had an experience with a brand in the past three months. Respondents in Hong Kong were far more likely to share positive or neutral experiences than negative ones, with 61% sharing positive experiences, 70% sharing neutral ones, and just 17% sharing negative experiences.

In Hong Kong, negative experiences are rarely posted publicly. Among respondents, 54% shared positive experiences privately, 24% left a review or rating, and 20% posted publicly on social media. By contrast, only 3% posted negative experiences on social media, while twice as many (6%) contacted brands directly.

Moreover, consumers share good experiences to spread enjoyment or help others discover something worthwhile: 43% said "to share my enjoyment of something," 40% to help others discover something good, and 32% to express their personal views or identity.

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