---
title: "Foyles vs Waterstones: Which is more popular by branded search?"
description: "Which is more popular in search, Foyles or Waterstones? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Bookstores set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/foyles-vs-waterstones"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Foyles vs Waterstones: Which is more popular by branded search?

Which is more popular in search, Foyles or Waterstones? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Bookstores set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Compared**: Foyles and Waterstones
- **Competitive set**: Bookstores
- **Market**: Global
- **Month measured**: Aug 2026
- **Foyles Share of Search**: 0.08%
- **Waterstones Share of Search**: 0.15%

## Which is more popular in search, Foyles or Waterstones?

- In August 2026, Waterstones had more branded searches than Foyles among bookstores worldwide. Waterstones was estimated to have 12.1K branded searches compared to Foyles’ 6.6K, and held a 0.15% Share of Search versus Foyles’ 0.08%.
- Waterstones was ahead of Foyles in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Foyles’ estimated Share of Search among bookstores worldwide moved from 0.1% to 0.08%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 6.6K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Waterstones’ estimated Share of Search among bookstores worldwide moved from 0.26% to 0.15%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 18.1K to 12.1K.

## How did search popularity change for bookstores worldwide in August 2026?

- Estimated monthly branded searches for Waterstones worldwide fell 33.1% over 11 measured months, from 18.1K to 12.1K in August 2026.

## Month by month

| Month | Foyles estimated searches | Foyles Share of Search | Foyles rank | Waterstones estimated searches | Waterstones Share of Search | Waterstones rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | 6.6K | 0.1% | 5 | 18.1K | 0.26% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | 6.6K | 0.08% | 5 | 22.2K | 0.27% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | 8.1K | 0.07% | 5 | 27.1K | 0.23% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | 6.6K | 0.08% | 5 | 14.8K | 0.18% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | 6.6K | 0.1% | 5 | 14.8K | 0.23% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | 6.6K | 0.08% | 5 | 14.8K | 0.19% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | 5.4K | 0.07% | 5 | 9.9K | 0.12% | 4 |
| May 2026 | 5.4K | 0.07% | 5 | 12.1K | 0.15% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | 6.6K | 0.08% | 5 | 12.1K | 0.15% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | 6.6K | 0.08% | 5 | 12.1K | 0.15% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | 6.6K | 0.08% | 5 | 12.1K | 0.15% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |

## How each brand is measured

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Foyles’ and Waterstones’ 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.

- **Foyles**: Measured on the search term “foyles bookshop”.
- **Waterstones**: Measured on the search term “waterstones books”.

- [Foyles profile](/demand/global-en/brands/foyles)
- [Waterstones profile](/demand/global-en/brands/waterstones)
- [All bookstores worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/bookstores): The set both shares are measured inside, 6 brands.

## Methodology

- [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which is more popular in search, Foyles or Waterstones?

In August 2026, Waterstones had more branded searches than Foyles among bookstores worldwide. Waterstones was estimated to have 12.1K branded searches compared to Foyles’ 6.6K, and held a 0.15% Share of Search versus Foyles’ 0.08%.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Foyles vs Waterstones: Which is more popular by branded search?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/foyles-vs-waterstones

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/foyles-vs-waterstones. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.