A new study titled 'Favourite Brand of the Belgians' revealed brands close to the hearts of Belgians, depending on age and region. Brussels appears to be developing radically different consuming habits.
Conducted in collaboration with market research company Ipsos, the study is based on responses from 4,200 Belgians and 800 brands across six sectors.
Already established in France for more than a decade, the favourite brands study has now been extended to Belgium.
Traditional food brands still dominate in most of the country, with chocolatiers Côte d'Or topping the national ranking with an approval score of 86%.
In second place is Lotus, known for its iconic speculoos biscuits, followed by Devos & Lemmens, a national household name for sauces (to put on fries, etc.).
Nearly half of the top 30 favourite brands are in the food sector. The study concludes that food remains tied to nostalgia, comfort, and, in a sense, national identity.
Cost of living effect
Among 18 to 34-year-olds, Dutch discount store Action ranked as Belgium's favourite brand ahead of US tech giants Netflix and Google.
Speaking to the Flemish daily Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN), marketing expert from KU Leuven, Els Breugelmans, explained that rankings reflect both digital habits and financial realities among younger consumers.
The popularity of Action, in particular, might reflect mounting financial pressure on young people facing soaring life costs and shrinking purchasing power, the study highlights.
Older consumers aged 55 and over, on the other hand, tended to favour more traditional, familiar brands, particularly those reliable and can be used long-term.
Credit: Favouritebrand.be
The survey points out that repeated exposure to certain brands, along with their familiarity, builds trust and, in turn, consumer loyalty.
Consumers often make purchasing decisions in supermarkets within 13 seconds and tend to instinctively pick brands they know and trust, Breugelmans explained HLN.
Aldi, Action and Zeeman were perceived as the most affordable, while brands such as Colruyt scored highly for trustworthiness.
Brussels
In the capital, French manufacturing corporation Bic ranked first, ahead of Samsung and IKEA. Bic is known for producing disposable items such as pens, stationery, lighters and shaving razors.
Food brands were noticeably less dominant among Brussels consumers, who instead drift more towards technology, services, home equipment and lifestyle brands.
The survey suggested that consumers in Brussels have a different profile from the rest of the country.
International residents and city-dwellers might be less attached to traditional consumption practices and lean more towards convenience, mobility, and digital lifestyles.
The inclusion of tech giants such as Google, Samsung, Netflix and WhatsApp suggests that Belgians are increasingly seeing these brands as part of everyday modern life in Belgium.
