Brandwave

How popular isThe North Face?

In September 2026, people searched for The North Face by name about 4.1 million times worldwide, a 39.3% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 12.3% of all global school bag searches, placing The North Face second out of eight bags. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about school bags, The North Face appeared in all answers and was the second most recommended of the eight.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

The North Face is the second most searched of 8 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.

  1. NikeShare of searches 73.4%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  2. The North FaceShare of searches 12.3%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  3. Under ArmourShare of searches 10.1%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
  4. FjällrävenShare of searches 2%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  5. SmiggleShare of searches 0.91%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –

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Top school bags in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, The North Face appeared in all five answers. The North Face is the second most recommended of the eight.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. JanSport1st
  2. The North Face2nd
  3. Herschel3rd
  4. Nike4th
  5. Fjällräven5th
  6. Under Armour6th
  7. Smiggle–
  8. Eastpak–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • The North Face5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • JanSport5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Herschel5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Nike3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Fjällräven3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Under Armour1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Smiggle0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Eastpak0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about school bags

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.

Which school bags compete with The North Face?

The North Face against school bags worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Nike, The North Face, Under Armour, Fjällräven. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthNikeThe North FaceUnder ArmourFjällrävenSmiggleJanSportHerschelEastpak
Oct 202567.3%18.1%11%1.8%0.81%0.45%0.44%0.05%
Nov 202566.7%20.6%9.3%1.9%0.83%0.31%0.37%0.03%
Dec 202566.3%19.6%10.8%1.8%0.79%0.36%0.43%0.04%
Jan 202669%17.6%9.7%1.6%1.1%0.58%0.45%0.04%
Feb 202671.8%14.7%9.9%1.6%0.73%0.73%0.46%0.04%
Mar 202676.9%9.6%10.5%1.4%0.63%0.51%0.41%0.05%
Apr 202677.6%8.6%10.6%1.4%0.78%0.52%0.5%0.05%
May 202675.7%10.2%10.3%1.7%0.93%0.62%0.5%0.06%
Jun 202676.9%8.6%10.6%1.4%1.2%0.78%0.53%0.06%
Jul 202674.5%10.1%10.1%1.7%1.4%1.7%0.6%0.08%
Aug 202673.2%10.7%9.8%2%1.3%2%0.84%0.15%
Sep 202673.4%12.3%10.1%2%0.91%0.61%0.58%0.08%

  1. 1.Nike

    73.4%

    Held 1st. 24.3M estimated branded searches, -2.4% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  2. 2.The North Face

    12.3%

    Held 2nd. 4.1M estimated branded searches, +11.2% vs prior month. Share +1.5 points.

  3. 3.Under Armour

    10.1%

    Held 3rd. 3.4M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.

  4. 4.Fjällräven

    2%

    Held 4th. 673K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  5. 5.Smiggle

    0.91%

    Moved from 6th to 5th. 301K estimated branded searches, -33.1% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.

  6. 6.JanSport

    0.61%

    Moved from 5th to 6th. 201K estimated branded searches, -70.1% vs prior month. Share -1.4 points.

  7. 7.Herschel

    0.58%

    Held 7th. 192K estimated branded searches, -32.9% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.

  8. 8.Eastpak

    0.08%

    Held 8th. 27.1K estimated branded searches, -45.3% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

Compare popularity between The North Face and its closest rivals

Every comparison with The North Face

51 comparisons

How has branded search demand for The North Face changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for The North Face worldwide fell from 6.7M to 4.1M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The North Face’s share of searches among school bags worldwide decreased from 18.1% to 12.3%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The North Face’s share of searches among school bags worldwide peaked at 20.6% in November 2025 and was lowest at 8.6% in April 2026.

How did search popularity change for school bags worldwide in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, The North Face gained share of searches among school bags worldwide, from 10.7% to 12.3%.

  2. In September 2026, JanSport lost share of searches among school bags worldwide, from 2% to 0.61%.

  3. Fjällräven’s share of searches among school bags worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 1.4% to 2% in September 2026.

  4. In September 2026, Smiggle rose from 6th to 5th among school bags worldwide.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Eastpak worldwide rose 49.7% over 12 measured months, from 18.1K to 27.1K in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Herschel worldwide rose 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 162K to 192K in September 2026.

How are The North Face’s branded searches counted?

3 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using The North Face’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • north face
  • the north face
  • thenorthface

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does The North Face compete?

The North Face is ranked in 13 competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
School bags2nd of 812.3%Shown above
Puffer jacket brands2nd of 915.8%Show ranking
Hoodies2nd of 819.7%Show ranking
Coats2nd of 1123.3%Show ranking
Waterproof jacket brands1st of 934%Show ranking
Jackets1st of 635.3%Show ranking
Outdoor clothing brands1st of 1136.9%Show ranking
Snow pants brands1st of 938.3%Show ranking
Ski jackets1st of 940%Show ranking
Fleece brands1st of 541.3%Show ranking
Rain jacket brands1st of 641.5%Show ranking
Backpack brands1st of 1165.9%Show ranking
Camping tent brands1st of 979.3%Show ranking
Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

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