Publix among world’s most admired companies, report says. Here’s how it stacked up

Florida’s native grocer Publix has been dubbed as one of the most admired companies in the world, according to a recent report released by Korn Ferry.

In a partnership with Fortune, the consulting firm ranked different companies globally by looking at the following nine factors:

1. Ability to attract and retain talented people
2. Quality of management
3. Social responsibility to the community and the environment
4. Innovativeness
5. Quality of products or services
6. Wise use of corporate assets
7. Financial soundness
8. Long-term investment value
9. Effectiveness in doing business globally

Publix Super Markets ranked No. 50 overall, managing to eke its way into the “All Stars” of the list. This marks the 31st consecutive year that the grocery chain has earned the honor.

“At Publix, we pride ourselves on the culture we’ve built and continue to uphold, where we care for and respect our associates and support our communities,” Publix Director of Communications Maria Brous said. “We’re honored to be recognized by Fortune as one of the world’s most admired companies.”

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However, it wasn’t the top-ranked grocer on the list. Both Walmart (No. 9) and Costco (No. 7) happened to beat it out on that front.

And the very top-ranked company was revealed to be tech conglomerate Apple.

“Apple watchers do fret about its lack of progress in AI, but it still earns top marks from respondents, who value its smart management of talent, capital, and supply chains as highly as they do innovation,” Korn Ferry states. “No doubt, AI is the major force shaping this year’s list.”

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Meanwhile, the top 50 companies on this year’s ranking are as follows: