Darrell Lea vs Whittaker's:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Whittaker's had more branded searches than Darrell Lea among chocolate brands in Australia. Whittaker's had about 14,800 branded searches, while Darrell Lea had 12,100. Whittaker's made up 14.1% of all chocolate brand searches we track, and Darrell Lea accounted for 11.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about chocolate brands, Darrell Lea and Whittaker's each appeared in two of the four answers. Darrell Lea was mentioned before Whittaker's in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Whittaker's, about 22% more searches than Darrell Lea
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 4 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Darrell Lea, named ahead of Whittaker's in 2 of 2 answers
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Top chocolate brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Darrell Lea and Whittaker's were each mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Darrell Lea was listed before Whittaker's in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Haigh's Chocolates1st
Cadbury2nd
Koko Black3rd- Darrell Lea4th
Lindt5th- Whittaker's6th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Haigh's Chocolates4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Koko Black2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Cadbury2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Whittaker's2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Darrell Lea2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Lindt1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about chocolate brands
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best chocolate brand in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which Australian chocolate brand makes the best gift box?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the most popular chocolate brands in Australia?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“chocolate”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“chocolate gifts”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 23, 2026.
Is Darrell Lea or Whittaker's more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Darrell Lea and Whittaker's by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six chocolate brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Whittaker's, Darrell Lea. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Koko Black | Haigh's Chocolates | Cadbury | Whittaker's | Darrell Lea | Lindt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34.4% | 18.9% | 10.3% | 12.6% | 8.4% | 15.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 35.4% | 23.7% | 8.7% | 10.6% | 8.7% | 13% |
| Dec 2025 | 39% | 26.1% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 7.8% | 14.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 33.1% | 14.8% | 12.1% | 12.1% | 9.9% | 18.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 36.5% | 16.3% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 8.9% | 16.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 35.4% | 19.4% | 13% | 8.7% | 10.6% | 13% |
| Apr 2026 | 29.8% | 16.3% | 16.3% | 13.3% | 10.9% | 13.3% |
| May 2026 | 34.2% | 12.5% | 15.3% | 15.3% | 10.2% | 12.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 31.2% | 11.4% | 17.1% | 17.1% | 9.3% | 13.9% |
| Jul 2026 | 31.8% | 11.6% | 14.2% | 21.3% | 9.5% | 11.6% |
| Aug 2026 | 29.3% | 13.1% | 19.7% | 16% | 8.8% | 13.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 31.5% | 17.2% | 14.1% | 14.1% | 11.5% | 11.5% |
How has the Darrell Lea and Whittaker's comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 4 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Darrell Lea took it in December 2025, Whittaker's took it in January 2026, Darrell Lea took it in March 2026, Whittaker's took it in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Darrell Lea’s share of searches among chocolate brands in Australia moved from 8.4% to 11.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.9K to 12.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Whittaker's’ share of searches among chocolate brands in Australia moved from 12.6% to 14.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 14.8K.
How did search popularity change for Australia chocolate brands in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Haigh's Chocolates overtook Cadbury and Whittaker's to rank 2nd among chocolate brands in Australia, with 17.2% of the searches.
In September 2026, Darrell Lea overtook Lindt to rank 5th among chocolate brands in Australia, with 11.5% of the searches.
In September 2026, Whittaker's lost share of searches among chocolate brands in Australia, from 16% to 14.1%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Darrell Lea’s and Whittaker'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.
Darrell Lea
1 branded search term
- darrell lea
Whittaker's
1 branded search term
- whittakers
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