Brandwave

Chemist Warehouse vs Discount Drug Stores:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Chemist Warehouse had more branded searches than Discount Drug Stores among pharmacy chains in Australia. Chemist Warehouse had about 2.7 million branded searches, while Discount Drug Stores had 6,600. Chemist Warehouse made up 91.5% of all pharmacy chain searches we track, and Discount Drug Stores accounted for 0.22%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about pharmacy chains, Chemist Warehouse appeared in four of the five answers and Discount Drug Stores in two. Chemist Warehouse was mentioned before Discount Drug Stores in every answer.

Among pharmacy chains in Australia in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Chemist Warehouse, about 415 searches for every 1 for Discount Drug Stores

Chemist Warehouse 2.7M searchesDiscount Drug Stores 6.6K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Chemist Warehouse, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Discount Drug Stores in 2

Chemist Warehouse in 4 of 5Discount Drug Stores in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Chemist Warehouse, named ahead of Discount Drug Stores in every answer

Chemist Warehouse first in 3Discount Drug Stores never first

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Top pharmacy chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Chemist Warehouse was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Discount Drug Stores was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Chemist Warehouse was listed before Discount Drug Stores in every answer.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Chemist Warehouse1st
  2. Priceline Pharmacy2nd
  3. TerryWhite Chemmart3rd
  4. Discount Drug Stores4th
  5. Amcal5th
  6. Pharmacy 4 Less–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Chemist Warehouse4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Priceline Pharmacy3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • TerryWhite Chemmart2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Discount Drug Stores2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Amcal1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Pharmacy 4 Less0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about pharmacy chains

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 22, 2026.

Is Chemist Warehouse or Discount Drug Stores more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Chemist Warehouse and Discount Drug Stores by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six pharmacy chains we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.

Chemist Warehouse and Discount Drug Stores among pharmacy chains in Australia, by month

Share of searches by month for Chemist Warehouse, Discount Drug Stores. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthChemist WarehousePriceline PharmacyTerryWhite ChemmartAmcalPharmacy 4 LessDiscount Drug Stores
Oct 202591.5%5.5%2%0.4%0.33%0.22%
Nov 202591.9%5.5%1.8%0.33%0.27%0.15%
Dec 202591.8%5.5%1.8%0.41%0.27%0.22%
Jan 202690.6%6.7%1.8%0.4%0.33%0.18%
Feb 202691.5%5.5%2%0.49%0.33%0.18%
Mar 202691.6%5.5%2%0.4%0.33%0.18%
Apr 202688.4%7.9%2.4%0.58%0.39%0.32%
May 202690%6.6%2.2%0.59%0.33%0.27%
Jun 202690.4%6.6%2%0.49%0.33%0.22%
Jul 202690.5%6.6%1.8%0.49%0.33%0.18%
Aug 202691.4%5.5%2%0.49%0.33%0.27%
Sep 202691.5%5.5%2%0.4%0.33%0.22%

How has the Chemist Warehouse and Discount Drug Stores comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for Australia pharmacy chains in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. Chemist Warehouse’s share of searches among pharmacy chains in Australia has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 90.4% to 91.5% in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Discount Drug Stores in Australia fell 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 8.1K to 6.6K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Chemist Warehouse’s and Discount Drug Stores’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Chemist Warehouse

1 branded search term

  • chemist warehouse

Discount Drug Stores

1 branded search term

  • discount drug stores

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among pharmacy chains

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