The age-old battle of between Woolworths and Coles might just have been solved by Interbrand. According to the brand consultancy, Woolworths leads the pack of the top 5 most valuable Asia Pacific Retail brands for 2011.

Published in the Best Retail Brands Report that was launched today, it was a proud moment for Australia when four out of the five top APAC retail brands belonged to the land down under. While Woolies topped the charts, Harvey Norman, David Jones and Myer took third, fourth and fifth spot respectively. The only upset to a full Australian line-up was Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo, which was ranked second.

“While these [Australian] brands are truly successful, there is no room for complacency; particularly with the significant role e-commerce is now playing. It also creates the need for more enriching in-store expeirneces to complement the online experience,” says Dominic Walsh, managing partner and head of the retail business at Interbrand Australia.

The report also highlighted growing trends within the retail industry. Digital growth will continue to affect the way consumers shop, and it is crucial that retailers ensure that the whole shopping experience is seamless and entertaining.

At the same time, human presence has also grown in importance in the consumer’s mind, where retailers that engage with the community and embody a genuine character will win over brand loyalty.

Finally, global expansion is the trend in widening market reach, and in Australia, Spanish fashion brand Zara is just stepping foot onto our soils and according to Interbrand, is growing at break-neck speed.

The complete list of global top retailers and trends forecasted can be obtained from www.interbrand.com.