Australian retail industry trade publication, Power Retail, has released its inaugural 'Most-Loved Retailers Report', with pureplay digital retailer The Iconic landing in the top spot.

The report ranks the country's favourite retailers using Net Promoter Scales (NPS) derived from a survey of over 12,000 shoppers. The report breaks down the data by demographic, product category, and service channel to provide a comprehensive snapshot of the Australian retail landscape.

The Iconic was followed by City Chic, Forever New, Dusk, Mecca, Adore Beauty, Pet Circle, Sketchers, Bonds and Repco, in that order.

"The Iconic has a real customer-first mentality that shoppers gravitate towards. They also have an efficient returns process, eliminating the major deterrent for online shopping. Similarly, Pet Circle offers conveniences to their shoppers like auto delivery and free vet advice. Mecca also ranks so highly because of their loyal customer base that they leverage with their Beauty Loop tiered program, rewarding customers for their loyalty with customised gift boxes," said Editor of Power Retail, Rosalea Catterson.

The report also reveals that consumers aged 18-34 prefer retailers that offer convenience, fast service, and variety, with their top two favourites being Mecca and The Iconic. Customisation and loyalty programs were also identified as key factors in determining consumer favourites.

"Putting this report together gave us some great insights into what Australian consumers are looking for during their shopping journey. The Iconic ranking first overall as a pureplay, online only company shows that consumers – particularly those between ages 18-34 - are favouring a shopping experience that offers convenience, fast service, and variety," said Catterson.

"With this being our first-ever Most-Loved Retailers Report, it was important that we surveyed a wide selection of respondents who encompassed diverse demographics and geographic regions across Australia to ensure our results reflected a variety of Australian consumers," said Head of Data at Power Retail, David Fear.