Australia’s best customer experience according to KPMG research

19 November 2025

Retailers have dominated the top brands for customer experience in Australia this year, accounting for nine of the top 10 brands, according to KPMG’s Customer Experience Excellence 2025/26 Australia Report, released today. Bendigo Bank is the only non-retail brand to appear, in second place after optical retail chain Specsavers, with fellow eyewear retailer OPSM ranking third.

The research is based on over 80,000 evaluations of 3,200 brands across 16 countries, including over 5,000 in Australia. Overall, Australia’s Customer Experience score, based on the six key pillars that drive excellent customer experience, has risen to 7.30, up by 1.67 points year-on-year driven by a strong performance in Empathy, Resolution and Expectations. 

Perennial favourites Bunnings, Chemist Warehouse and Mecca continue to rate highly, having appeared in the top 10 consistently since 2021. While they haven’t made the top ten, Financial Services and Utilities companies are seeing rapid improvements in score, with brands such as QBE, HostPlus, Yarra Valley Water and Australian Retirement Trust all making significant gains. ServiceNSW was the top mover in the Public Services sector. 

Carmen Bekker, Lead Partner, KPMG Customer, commented: "This research has become the global benchmark for brands customer experience, so it is encouraging to see Australia’s overall rating on the rise. The retail and financial sectors are leading the way when it comes to CX transformation, driven by omnichannel maturity, AI-powered journeys and loyalty ecosystems that reduce friction and deepen customer connection. 

“The brands that excel are those embedding technology with empathy, delivering seamless, anticipatory experiences that foster loyalty and trust."

Source: KPMG Customer Experience Excellence Report 2025

Key trends by sector

• Retail continues to lead customer experience excellence, representing 9 of the top 10 Australian brands. Mecca’s seamless omnichannel experience and personalised service set a high bar, and Mitre 10 value-led loyalty programs and simplified service experiences drove strong gains in customer satisfaction.
• Financial Services shows notable gains in Personalisation, Integrity and Time & Effort. Bendigo Bank outperformed its peers, with a high loyalty score pointing to successful long-term relationship management, while Macquarie Bank stood out for intuitive digital tools and responsive customer support.
• Utilities showed meaningful improvement in Empathy and Resolution, despite scoring below the national benchmark. SA Water offered clear pathways for issue resolution and proactive outreach, while Red Energy led in empathy amid cost-of-living challenges, offering Qantas Frequent Flyer points and competitive rates.
• Public Sector delivered the largest year-on-year improvement, driven by Time & Effort and Expectations, reflecting a strong pivot towards personalisation, accessibility and proactive citizen. ABC was praised for reliable content and tailored support for diverse audiences, while Australia Post has streamlined access to essential services through innovations such as parcel lockers, digital passport renewals and bill payments.

Neil Shewan, Lead Partner for Experience Transformation, KPMG Customer, commented: "What will set organisations apart in the minds of the consumer is their willingness to embrace AI and innovation in addition to their ability to integrate customers, employees, data, technology, and operations into one coherent whole.

“At the same time, brands must continue to foster consumer trust and confidence. In the future, Australian consumers will increasingly rely on personal AI agents to filter information, make decisions and complete transactions. Brands must now create experiences that are engaging and trustworthy for people and optimised for the logic of AI agents, ensuring relevance and trust."

Methodology

Since 2010, KPMG has been asking consumers about their individual experiences with brands. This year’s global study includes over 80,000 evaluations of 3,200 brands across 16 countries, ranking each brand within its respective country based on its overall Customer Experience Excellence (CEE) score. Scores are derived from the Six Pillars of Experience, weighted by their impact on advocacy, represented by the net promoter score (NPS) and loyalty.

In Australia, the 2025 study covered over 5,000 evaluations of 126 brands, covering 9 sectors and 27 subsectors.