These Canadian companies scored some unexpected customer service wins
Good customer service can make or break a business. In Canada, plenty of retailers, airlines, and service providers are being recognized for their outstanding care, and some of the companies taking home top honours might surprise you.
Newsweek has released its annual list of Canada’s Best Customer Service 2027, in collaboration with Statista, a leading statistics ranking provider.
The rankings recognize businesses that go above and beyond when it comes to keeping customers happy, whether they’re shopping in-store, browsing online, or reaching out for tech support.
This year’s list features 426 winning companies across a whopping 116 categories. The results were based on surveyed consumers who have purchased products, used services or researched businesses within the past three years. Companies were scored on several factors, including communication, professional competence, customer focus, accessibility, and likelihood of recommendation.
So, which Canadian brands are getting things right?
Montreal-based Reitmans took the top spot in the apparel category with an impressive score of 86.55. The women’s clothing retailer also claimed first place in online apparel, suggesting its excellent customer service goes beyond its brick-and-mortar locations. Fellow Canadian fashion retailer Penningtons wasn’t far behind, landing in second place with 86.24 points.
Meanwhile, popular women’s fashion retailer Aritzia had a somewhat surprising result. Despite its popularity across the country, the Canadian brand placed fourth in the women’s apparel category with a score of 85.18, so perhaps there’s room for improvement.
ACHPF/Shutterstock
Over in athletic apparel, Vancouver-based lululemon landed in fifth place with a score of 81.15, trailing American competitors Under Armour, Adidas, and Nike.
When it comes to grocery shopping, IGA came out on top in the supermarket category with a score of 81.42. It managed to beat several familiar Canadian competitors, including Sobeys, Food Basics, Maxi, and No Frills.
The winner in the superstore category should come as no surprise. Often crowned “the best grocery store in Canada,” Costco claimed best customer service with a score of 83.10, leaving Real Canadian Superstore and Walmart trailing behind.
American conglomerate Starbucks outranked Canadian favourites Tim Hortons and Second Cup in the coffeehouse chains category. And Tims didn’t fare much better in the donut department, as American competitor Krispy Kreme took the top spot with 85.10 points.
Erman Gunes/Shutterstock
For online home stores, however, a Canadian name came out victorious. Canadian Tire earned first place with a score of 81.62 (Netflix host Rutledge Wood would be happy with this news), narrowly edging out the U.S.-founded Home Depot, which followed closely behind with 81.58.
One of the more unexpected winners is within telecommunications. Montreal-based Videotron was named the internet service provider with the best customer service, earning an impressive 86.55 points. That’s way ahead of bigger competitors like Bell and Rogers, making this a bit of a David-versus-Goliath moment.
Looking for a phone carrier that actually keeps its customers happy? Freedom Mobile took the top spot in its category with 81.06 points, beating out Virgin Mobile, Koodo, and Telus.
And if you’re planning your next vacation, you might want to keep Air Transat in mind. The Montreal-based airline was crowned Canada’s top airline for customer service with a score of 81.74. Toronto’s Porter Airlines followed with 78.64, while Calgary-based WestJet landed third with an even 77 points.
These are just a handful of the companies recognized this year. The rankings also cover everything from luxury hotels and spas to bookstores and, yes, even gas stations.
Curious to see how your favourite brands performed? You can check out Newsweek’s full Canada’s Best Customer Service 2027 rankings on its website.