For Independence Day, RBC-Ukraine has compiled a selection of seven so-called love brands — brands to which millions of Ukrainians return year after year, not because of a one-time promotion, but out of habit, trust, and a sense of "this is ours." The selection includes Chernihivske, Glovo, eva, ATB, COMFY, ARX, and Persha Hildiia. These companies have different products, personalities, and histories, but they share one common trait: they have managed to turn a routine consumer choice into trust, and trust into a long-term connection with people. As the authors of the material note, genuine "love" for a brand cannot be created by a single advertising campaign — it must be earned through years of work.
ATB: from a retail chain to a "people's brand" of wartime
According to RBC-Ukraine, before the start of the full-scale war, 95% of citizens had a positive shopping experience at ATB due to store comfort and affordable prices. However, it is precisely the last few years, the authors claim, that made the chain truly people's: stores were among the first to resume operations in de-occupied territories, became sources of light and heat during blackouts, and continue to operate even in frontline regions. Since February 2022, the company has been operating in a special mode: it has equipped stores with generators, launched targeted food delivery, and joined charitable and state support programs.
Numbers that fix the scale: taxes, charity, and a retail record
During the full-scale war, the company's tax contribution to budgets of all levels exceeded 74.11 billion UAH, and charitable assistance to the affected population, medical institutions, defenders, and rescuers reached more than 2.5 billion UAH. The year 2025 was indicative, according to the authors' assessment: one billion purchases were made in ATB stores — an absolute record for the entire history of Ukrainian retail. The updated mobile application, which combined customer services, a loyalty program, electronic receipts, an electronic wallet, Scan&Buy service, and an online store, surpassed the one million downloads mark in its first month. The loyalty program offers an instant 10% discount at the checkout by scanning a code, without accumulating points or a minimum receipt amount, while co-branded cards with leading banks provide an additional 5% discount.
COMFY: a Dnipro brand that learned to speak to the customer "as equals"
The second brand detailed in the selection is COMFY, born in Dnipro in 2005 and having gone the path from the first home appliance stores to the largest omnichannel electronics retailer: 115 stores in 56 cities of Ukraine. The company positions itself not just as a place to buy a TV or smartphone, but as a space where you can test equipment, get an honest consultation, and find a solution that suits you. Having abandoned template advertising, the brand built a recognizable "bold, open, and slightly hooligan" character with humor and self-irony, which, according to RBC-Ukraine, allowed it to win the trust of 12 million Ukrainians.
What unites the seven brands in the selection
In addition to ATB and COMFY, the Independence Day love brands selection features Chernihivske, Glovo, eva, the insurance company ARX (operating since 1994), and Persha Hildiia vodka. The common denominator of all seven is the ability to accompany Ukrainians in important life moments and maintain a connection even when everything around is changing. In the case of ATB, the company states plans to expand the network, digital services, and loyalty programs, develop energy independence, veteran reintegration, and social projects, keeping the main task as "holding the country's food front".
