Brandwave

City Beach vs Cotton On:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Cotton On had more branded searches than City Beach among youth fashion retailers in Australia. Cotton On had about 823,000 branded searches, while City Beach had 450,000. Cotton On made up 16.6% of all youth fashion retailer searches we track, and City Beach accounted for 9.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about youth fashion retailers, Cotton On appeared in four of the five answers and City Beach in three. Cotton On was mentioned before City Beach in every answer that named either.

Among youth fashion retailers in Australia in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Cotton On, about 83% more searches than City Beach

Cotton On 823K searchesCity Beach 450K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Cotton On, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, City Beach in 3

Cotton On in 4 of 5City Beach in 3 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Cotton On, named ahead of City Beach in 4 of 4 answers

Cotton On first in 4City Beach never first

Follow City Beach vs Cotton On and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Track your brand against a rival →

Top youth fashion retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Cotton On was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. City Beach was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Cotton On was listed before City Beach in every answer that named either.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Cotton On1st
  2. Factorie2nd
  3. Glassons3rd
  4. Ghanda4th
  5. Universal Store5th
  6. H&M6th
  7. The Iconic7th
  8. City Beach8th
  9. Uniqlo9th
  10. Jay Jays10th
  11. +5 more

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Cotton On4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Uniqlo4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • The Iconic4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Glassons3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • City Beach3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • H&M3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Universal Store3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Ghanda3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Factorie3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Kmart3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

+5 more

See every answer about youth fashion retailers

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 27, 2026.

Is City Beach or Cotton On more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for City Beach and Cotton On by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 youth fashion retailers we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.

City Beach and Cotton On among youth fashion retailers in Australia, by month

Share of searches by month for Cotton On, City Beach. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthCotton OnGlassonsUniqloCity BeachPrincess PollySupréThe IconicZaraH&MUniversal StoreGhandaFactorieJay JaysEdge ClothingKmart
Oct 202519.9%9%10.9%9%7.3%6%9%7.3%6%6%4.9%2.2%2.2%0.24%0.13%
Nov 202518.3%8.2%10.1%10.1%6.7%6.7%10.1%6.7%5.5%6.7%5.5%3%2%0.22%0.1%
Dec 202519.7%8.9%10.9%10.9%4.9%5.9%7.3%7.3%5.9%7.3%4.9%3.2%2.7%0.24%0.11%
Jan 202618.1%9.9%12.1%9.9%5.4%5.4%8.1%8.1%6.6%6.6%4.4%3%2%0.22%0.12%
Feb 202616.9%11.3%13.8%7.6%7.6%6.2%7.6%7.6%6.2%6.2%4.1%2.8%1.9%0.2%0.14%
Mar 202619.8%10.9%13.3%7.3%6%6%7.3%8.9%6%6%4%2.7%1.8%0.24%0.13%
Apr 202616.7%11.2%13.7%7.5%6.1%6.1%7.5%9.1%6.1%6.1%5%2.7%1.8%0.25%0.13%
May 202616.4%11%16.4%6%6%6%7.3%9%6%6%4.9%2.7%1.8%0.24%0.13%
Jun 202616.9%11.3%13.8%6.2%6.2%6.2%7.6%9.3%6.2%6.2%5.1%2.8%1.9%0.3%0.11%
Jul 202615.2%10.2%15.2%6.8%6.8%5.6%8.3%8.3%6.8%5.6%5.6%3.1%2.1%0.22%0.12%
Aug 202616.8%11.2%13.7%7.5%7.5%6.1%7.5%7.5%6.1%6.1%5%2.8%1.8%0.2%0.11%
Sep 202616.6%11.1%11.1%9.1%7.4%7.4%7.4%7.4%6.1%6.1%5%2.7%2.2%0.24%0.13%

How has the City Beach and Cotton On comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for Australia youth fashion retailers in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, City Beach gained share of searches among youth fashion retailers in Australia, from 7.5% to 9.1%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Cotton On in Australia fell 17.7% over 12 measured months, from 1M to 823K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using City Beach’s and Cotton On’s 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.

City Beach

1 branded search term

  • city beach

Cotton On

1 branded search term

  • cotton on

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among youth fashion retailers

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Put your own brand in this comparison

Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.

Start free