Apple is the brand Gen Z consumers most frequently name as one they are loyal to and would recommend without hesitation, according to a Rival Technologies survey of more than 900 respondents in the U.S. and Canada.
Nike ranked second and Costco (including its Kirkland private label) third.
The rest of the top 10 were Adidas, Samsung, Amazon, Lululemon, CeraVe, and a four-way tie for ninth among Starbucks, Uniqlo, Dove and Walmart. Apple, Nike and Costco together were cited more often than the next nine brands combined.
Only 11% of respondents said brands understand them “really well.” Nearly half (45%) said they would be unconditionally loyal to a brand that does understand them, compared with just 5% who would show the same loyalty to a brand that does not.
Other key findings:
- 64% said they will stick with a brand they like rather than switch for price or try something new.
- Only 9% cited influencers as a loyalty driver.
- Price and value (82%) and product quality (80%) far outranked alignment with personal values (36%) as influences on loyalty.
- U.S. Gen Z respondents were nearly three times as likely as those in Canada to say brands understand them “really well” (17% vs. 6%) and about twice as likely to be unconditionally loyal.
- Negative reactions to brand messaging rose from 22% among 18- to 20-year-olds to 34% among 25- to 29-year-olds, while disengagement stayed high across all age groups.
Rival Technologies surveyed 903 Gen Z participants drawn from its proprietary panels in July 2026.