Marks & Spencer has been named the UK’s most trusted retailer in 2025, retaining consumer confidence despite the reputational damage posed by a major cyber-attack earlier in the year, according to new research from GlobalData.

The ranking is underpinned by the strength of M&S’ distinctive own-brand ranges, which consumers struggled to replace during service disruption caused by the attack.

GlobalData said the lack of comparable alternatives reinforced perceptions that M&S offers products that are genuinely unique, limiting the long-term impact on trust.

The retailer further bolstered its standing by restoring services and offering customer discounts in the aftermath, strengthening its reliability and value proposition.

However, GlobalData cautioned that maintaining this lead will require continued investment in cyber resilience, alongside sustained messaging around quality and value.

The findings were based on GlobalData’s November 2025 survey of 2,000 UK consumers, in which respondents were asked to select up to three retailers they considered most trustworthy.

John Lewis & Partners, Tesco, Amazon, and Sainsbury’s complete the top five. Four of the five are British retailers, suggesting heritage brands benefit from familiarity and perceived accountability among UK shoppers.

This domestic brand identity has been a key factor in M&S retaining customer confidence and limiting reputational damage following the cyberattack, said GlobalData.

Aliyah Siddika, associate retail analyst at GlobalData, said: “Marks & Spencer’s narrow lead in consumer trust over John Lewis & Partners is not guaranteed to remain in 2026.”

“John Lewis & Partners has the infrastructure to communicate its quality and value-for-money message more clearly with its revived ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ promise, which could help it overtake Marks & Spencer in the future.”

John Lewis’ second-place ranking, despite a smaller store footprint, highlights the strength of its proposition and its potential for further momentum.

The research also sheds light on what consumers believe makes a retailer trustworthy. Consistent quality and clear value for money are the two most important factors, cited by 84% and 81% of respondents respectively.

These attributes reassure shoppers that a retailer is reliable, fair, and worth returning to, particularly when delivered consistently across stores and channels and supported by dependable customer service.

“The most-trusted UK retailers are those that translate quality and value into clear, customer-facing signals,” added Siddika.

“Retailers must offer distinctive, high-quality own-brand ranges that feel genuinely hard to replace.”

Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter