Despite placing second overall, Pak’nSave ranked first for fairness for the 10th consecutive year.
State-owned media company TVNZ held onto fourth spot with 108 points.
Air New Zealand slipped out of the top three for the first time in the index’s history, down two places to fifth with a score of 107.
Sarah Bolger, Kantar Insights chief client officer, said Toyota and Pak’nSave continue to dominate because they have built long-term trust through consistency.
“In a year marked by economic pressure, global uncertainty and declining trust in many institutions, New Zealanders are rewarding companies that feel dependable, consistent and genuinely useful in their everyday lives,” she said.
“The highest-performing brands are not necessarily the loudest or most aspirational. They are the organisations people believe will turn up, deliver value, treat customers fairly and behave responsibly when times are tough.”
Toyota New Zealand chief executive Tatsuya Ishikawa said they were incredibly proud of the recognition.
“To achieve a three-peat in the Corporate Reputation Index is something we’re very grateful for,” Ishikawa said.
“Trust is earned over time and this recognition belongs to our stores, staff, partners and customers right across New Zealand.”
Lotto (106), New World (106), Southern Cross (106), Mitre 10 (106) and Samsung (106) rounded out the top 10.
ASB was the highest-ranked bank, climbing 12 spots to 12th place. Banking rivals Kiwibank and ANZ also made the top 20, placing 14th and 17th respectively.
However, all three banks received a score of 104.
Insurer AMI climbed 20 spots to 16th, while Woolworths was up 16 places to break into the top 20 for the first time.
“Brands associated with value and reliability are resonating strongly right now,” Bolger said.
“Insurers including AA Insurance, Southern Cross and AMI all performed strongly as households continue to focus on financial resilience and protection.”
2026 Kantar Corporate Reputation Index:
Toyota (112)Pak’nSave (108)AA Insurance (108)TVNZ (108)Air New Zealand (107)Lotto (106)New World (106)Southern Cross (106)Mitre 10 (106)Samsung (106)Bunnings (105)ASB (104)Zespri (104)Kiwibank (104)Mainfreight (104)AMI (104)ANZ (104)Z Energy (104)Woolworths (103)2degrees (103)