A new study from Kantar has shown that the impact of safe shopping online in the pandemic era has helped to solidify Amazon’s status as the most valuable brand globally, outpacing major rivals as consumers choose to order via e-commerce sites rather than visit the high street.

Amazon enjoyed a 32 per cent year-on-year increase in its calculated brand value, putting it ahead of second place Apple, which only saw a 14 per cent uptick.

Of course it was not the only company to enjoy double-digit brand value rises, as Microsoft managed to edge out Google and attain third place in the study thanks to its 30 per cent increase in value.

The rest of the top 10 was rounded out by a number of other retail brands, although the likes of Alibaba and Tencent show that it is not just western names that are making a splash, even if Amazon has displayed a good deal of dominance, particularly in the face of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Payment card brand Visa also made an appearance in fifth position, while Mastercard just edged in at number 10. Once again these are brands which are intrinsically linked to the act of online shopping and so the picture is clear: web-based retail activities are driving global business more now than ever before.

Brand value can fluctuate significantly, and it is worth pointing out that this is just one of a number of different studies into this subject, with reshuffling likely depending on which metrics are given the most weight. Even so, the fact that Amazon has been crowned the king of consumer familiarity and worth in this particular study should not be underestimated, especially as the shift to increased online shopping caused by current circumstances seems permanent.