NEW YORK — Some of the nation's most popular retailers earned a spot on Interbrand's annual ranking of the 50 most valuable U.S. retail brands.

Walmart topped the list, with Target coming in the No. 2 spot, while CVS/pharmacy, Walgreens and Sam's Club respectively earned the fifth, sixth and seventh spots.

Other retailers on the list included Publix, Dollar General, Costco, Whole Foods and Family Dollar.

The U.S. brands study is part of Interbrand’s "2011 Best Brands" report, which ranks the top retail brands from the United States, Asia Pacific, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain. In the United States, the study noted that brand-led companies have proved resilient, responding rapidly to the downturn while taking advantage of its opportunities — the total value of the top 50 brands rose 5.45%, or $20 billion.

The report also called out three emerging trends for 2011:

• Customer’s demand for a more seamless retail experience;

• The need for human touch in all interactions; and

• An increasingly interrelated global retail market.

Click here to read the full report.