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Texas consumers favor homegrown brands, with most willing to pay more for companies they trust, according to new polling. A leadership team from\u00a0H-E-B cuts a ribbon to celebrate the opening of a new store Wednesday in Katy in February 2024. A survey released in April 2026 finds that 93% of Texans have a favorable view of the grocer.<\/p>\n
Jon Shapley\/Staff photographer<\/p>\n
While Texans are known for a well-developed sense of state pride, a new survey suggests that Texas-based brands that embrace their roots and consistently invest in their communities can see a significant impact on their bottom line.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fully 86% of Texas consumers strongly identify with Texas identity and culture, according to polling by\u00a0LSG, a communications and public affairs agency<\/a> headquartered in Washington, D.C., with a Texas office in The Woodlands. They carry their Texas swagger with them when shopping: If forced to choose, 40% trust Texas brands most, compared with 12% who have the most confidence in national brands.<\/p>\n Their trust pays off: 72% of respondents said they prioritize reliability and trust over finding the lowest price. Even with cost-of-living pressures top of mind for many Texas families, 83% of respondents said they would be willing to pay more for a brand they trust, with two-thirds saying they would be willing to pay up to 15% more.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n BRANDS: These are the most reputable companies in Texas, according to new ranking<\/a><\/p>\n LSG also asked respondents for their opinions about 18 brands headquartered in the state, including Southwest Airlines, Dell, Tesla and Landry\u2019s, headquartered in Houston.\u00a0The results will likely come as no surprise. \u00a0<\/p>\n H-E-B is the top brand in Texas,<\/a> with fully 92% of respondents expressing a favorable view of the San Antonio grocer.\u00a0Whataburger<\/a>, another San Antonio company, came in second, with 87% favorability, followed by Blue Bell<\/a> and Buc-ee\u2019s<\/a>, which tied for third with 86% of respondents having a positive view of those brands.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of pride behind Texas brands, and a lot of trust behind them,\u201d said Scott Castleman, head of LSG\u2019s Texas office. \u201cI think that\u2019s not something you can just do with advertising and offerings in your store, but it is built over decades of being a part of these communities, and being there for good times and bad.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI think these are brands that are consistently showing up for consumers over time,\u201d agreed Amy\u00a0McMillan, senior vice president in the Texas office.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s not just slap a cowboy boot and a flag on it and call it Texan.\u201d<\/p>\n The agency surveyed 1,500 consumers in Austin, Dallas and Houston, in late February and early March. The three cities, along with Fort Worth and San Antonio, anchor the \u201cTexas Triangle\u201d megaregion<\/a> that is home to more than 70% of the state\u2019s population.\u00a0<\/p>\n Most of the 18 brands were viewed favorably, at least among the respondents familiar with them. Just 37% of respondents said they had a favorable opinion of\u00a0CenterPoint Energy, for example, but 61% of respondents in Houston, where the utility is headquartered, view it positively.\u00a0<\/p>\n