Brand loyalty proves to be quite strong in the latest STORES Media Favorite 50 Online Retailers survey, conducted by BIGresearch and published in the September issue of STORES Magazine.

The top 10 e-retailers online shoppers prefer the most held onto their rankings from a year ago, a few new companies debuted and others returned. Rankings were based on the total number of responses to the following open-ended questions: “What website do you shop most often for apparel items?” and “What website do you shop most often for non-apparel items?”

“Online retailers have proven they are up to the challenge of building a loyal customer base, and will continue to be preferred destinations for many as the Internet continues to mature,” said Susan Reda, Editor, STORES Media. “Multichannel retailers have done a commendable job understanding what their customers are looking for and providing a favorable, seamless shopping experience to millions of people every day – no matter how they choose to shop.”

The top 10 are as follows:

• Amazon.com
• Walmart.com
• eBay.com
• BestBuy.com
• JCPenney.com
• Target.com
• Kohls.com
• Google.com
• Overstock.com
• Sears.com

A few newcomers found their way into people’s hearts and onto the list this year, including Express.com (#38), Aéropostale (#47), and Nike.com (#50). BananaRepublic.com (#48) is back after a one-year absence.

“Consumers who were solely focused on price a year ago are still looking for good deals but are also evaluating return policies, merchandise quality and free shipping as part of the buying equation,” said Pam Goodfellow, Senior Analyst, BIGresearch.