Fortune has ranked Publix, Costco, Target and Walmart among the top 50 most admired companies in the world.
The list is the result of voting by roughly 3,750 executives, analysts, directors and experts, according to Fortune.
Costco ranked 12th, receiving its highest mark for long-term investment value and strong scores in quality of products and services and global competitiveness.
Walmart came in 25th, ranking best in the general merchandisers category in financial soundness and global competitiveness and also scoring well in use of corporate assets.
Target ranked 32nd, receiving high marks for innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, quality of management and social responsibility.
Publix -- which unlike the others is in the food and drug stores category -- came in 45th. Publix scored highest in quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment value and quality of products and services.