WRatings Corp. reveals Colgate-Palmolive as top consumer goods co.

HERNDON, Va. The wRatings Corp., an independent stock research firm, last month revealed the results of the 2009 "Most Competitive Retail & Consumer Goods" study, finding that the recession has had a significant impact on consumer shopping behavior; 55% of the consumer-packaged goods companies among the top 20 rankings traded spots, with Colgate-Palmolive laying claim to the top spot.

“The competitive companies remaining in first quarter 2009 are on track to emerge from the recession with  greater customer and economic strength than their rivals,” wRatings stated. “Various reasons exist for their durability, but most critical are access to real-time data along with the ability to transform your business faster than ever before.”

To arrive at the rankings, wRatings asked consumers how well companies meet their expectations every quarter. The consumer ratings are categorized by nine competitive moats, or barriers to entry companies create to protect against rivals taking their customers and, ultimately, their profits. Each W Score blends a company’s historical  economic profit with its competitive moat scores.

Top 20 Most Competitive Consumer Goods Companies:

1. Colgate Toothpaste2. Mountain Dew/Diet MD3. Budweiser/Bud Light  4. Vaseline5. Kellogg Cereals6. Sam Adams/SA Light7. Weight Watchers8. Kleenex Tissue9. Clorox Products10. Gildan Activewear11. NIKE Products12. Marvel-Branded Products13. Coke/Diet Coke14. Crocs 15. Pepsi/Diet Pepsi16. Hormel Foods17t. Heelys17t. HNI Office Furniture  19. L'Oreal  20. Newport Cigarettes