Key findings:
- Nike led fashion retail brands, recording a net Buzz score of 19.9 points.
- Costco topped the retail store rankings with a net Buzz score of 23.0 points, followed by Lowe’s (22.1) and Walmart (21.0).
- Dove led skincare, hair and cosmetics brands with a net Buzz score of 26.9 points.
- Super Mario Bros. topped the video game brand rankings with a net Buzz score of 22.6 points among U.S. gamers.
With this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday fast approaching, which brands do the best job at generating positive consumer conversations?
New YouGov analysis explores gift-buying preferences among U.S. adults and identifies the top-performing brands across retail, fashion, beauty and video games during Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year.
What types of gifts do U.S. adults usually buy?
YouGov Profiles data shows that around two in five U.S. adults purchase food and drink products (40%) and gift cards or vouchers (39%) as gifts, making them the most popular choices.
However, around a third buy clothes, shoes and bags follow (35%), while one in five (20%) purchase health and beauty products. With fashion and beauty items representing a notable section of the gifting market, how do brands in these categories score on consumer Buzz?
Nike and Skechers topped the fashion retail brand rankings in 2025
Analyzing YouGov BrandIndex data from November 1 to December 2, 2025, shows Nike (19.9) and Skechers (19.8) at the top two spots in the fashion retail category.
Old Navy (16.9), Rolex and Victoria’s Secret follow at 16.6 each.
Sportswear and footwear brands featured in multiple spots, with adidas at 14.4 points, New Balance at 14.2 points, and Under Armour at 11.5 points.
Levi’s ranked eighth with a score of 12.7 points, while Bombas completed the list with 11.1 points.
Costco led retail store brands during Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025
Looking at retail stores over the same period, Costco took first place with a net Buzz score of 23.0 points, narrowly ahead of Lowe’s (22.1) and Walmart (21.0).
Home improvement retailers featured prominently in the rankings, with Home Depot in fourth place (19.4) and Ace Hardware fifth (18.1).
IKEA followed with 15.5 points, ahead of Best Buy (15.1) and HomeGoods (13.7). Barnes & Noble (13.1) and Michaels (12.5) completed the top ten.
Dove led skincare, hair and cosmetics brands in net Buzz
In the beauty and personal care category, Dove emerged as the clear leader with a net Buzz score of 26.9 points, well clear of Vaseline in second (18.4).
Olay ranked third with 16.9 points, followed by Bath & Body Works (16.2) and CeraVe at 15.9 points.
Neutrogena recorded 15.0 points, ahead of L’Oréal Paris (13.5). Head & Shoulders took the eighth spot with 12.9 points followed by Aveeno at 12.5 points, while Nivea rounded out the top ten with 12.2 points.
Super Mario Bros. topped video game brand rankings among U.S. gamers
Beyond retail and personal care, entertainment brands also generated positive consumer conversations during the shopping period last year.
Data shows that Super Mario Bros. topped the video game category with a net Buzz score of 22.6 points among U.S. gamers.
Fortnite was in second place with 18.1 points, followed by Call of Duty (all) (17.5) and Minecraft (16.3).
MONOPOLY GO! and Candy Crush Saga both recorded 15.0 points, ahead of Call of Duty: Warzone (13.8).
Grand Theft Auto scored 12.8 points, and Animal Crossing scored 12.6 points, with The Legend of Zelda completing the rankings at 12.4 points.
Methodology: YouGov BrandIndex tracks daily perceptions of thousands of brands. Rankings are based on the following question: “Over the past two weeks, which of the following brands have you heard something positive / negative about (whether in the news, through advertising, or talking to friends and family)?”. Scores are reported as net scores from –100 to +100, based on daily US surveys weighted using propensity scoring with ACS benchmarks (age, gender, race, education, region). Buzz rankings are defined by Net Buzz scores i.e.brand’s positive Buzz score minus its negative Buzz score during the period of analysis. All scores are rounded to one decimal place. Figures cover the period November 1 - December 2, 2025. A minimum base size (n) of 300 is required to rank.
Image: Getty Images
