This retail chain is the most valuable brand in SC, study says. Here’s why

South Carolina is home to thousands of companies and brands, but which one is the most valuable?

A band’s value is an estimate determined by a brand’s worth if it could be bought or sold. While company valuation puts a price on an entire business, brand value specifically considers the reputation, recognition and market strength of the brand’s identity and aura.

In the U.S., some tech companies are considered the most valuable brands.

American tech brands like Apple ($522.7B), Microsoft ($424.8B), Google ($365.0B) and Amazon ($338.1B) are considered the world’s most valuable brands and dominate their respective markets globally, according to OnDeck, an online lender platform.

OnDeck analyzed businesses across the country to determine the most valuable brand in each state, using the latest brand valuations from Brand Finance and Interbrand. This study measures the value of the brand itself, and not the company behind it.

“Brand value is created through meaning-making,” said Jill Avery, a Harvard Business School professor, in a statement. “After all, brands are vessels of meaning. Managing brands requires being a meaning-maker, a story-crafter, and a storyteller — finding and telling the stories that consumers need to hear to make their lives more fulfilling.”

Most states are divided when it comes to picking their most valuable brand, but the Southeast loves retail chains, and SC is no exception.

Here’s the most valuable brand that originated in SC, according to the study:

Most valuable SC brand

SC is the only state that considers this retail chain to be its most valuable brand.

Dollar Tree has 196 locations in the Palmetto State and is SC’s most valuable homegrown brand. The number of Dollar Tree locations is expected to grow in the coming years due to its popularity and the state’s growing population.

According to the US 500, an annual report that ranks the most valuable American brands, Dollar Tree ranked 154th in the country for its 2026 brand value, up from 176th in 2025.

Dollar Tree is one of seven retail brands to top their state’s rankings, alongside Walmart (Arkansas), Publix (Florida), The Home Depot (Georgia), Lowe’s (North Carolina), Sam’s Club (Oklahoma) and Nike (Oregon). Retail is the most common industry on the U.S. map, appearing more often than tech, healthcare, finance or manufacturing.

Here’s a map detailing the most valuable brand in each state: