Brandwave

The RealReal vs Zalando:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Zalando had more branded searches than The RealReal among fashion marketplaces worldwide. Zalando had about 20.4 million branded searches, while The RealReal had 1 million. Zalando made up 57.4% of all fashion marketplace searches we track, and The RealReal accounted for 2.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about fashion marketplaces, The RealReal appeared in four of the five answers and Zalando in one. The RealReal was mentioned before Zalando in three out of four answers.

Among fashion marketplaces worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Zalando, about 20 searches for every 1 for The RealReal

Zalando 20.4M searchesThe RealReal 1M searches

Who does AI mention more?

The RealReal, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Zalando in 1

The RealReal in 4 of 5Zalando in 1 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

The RealReal, named ahead of Zalando in 3 of 4 answers

The RealReal first in 3Zalando first in 1

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Top fashion marketplaces in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, The RealReal was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Zalando was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. The RealReal was listed before Zalando in three out of four answers.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Farfetch1st
  2. SSENSE2nd
  3. The RealReal3rd
  4. ASOS4th
  5. Vestiaire Collective5th
  6. Poshmark6th
  7. Depop7th
  8. Zalando8th
  9. Shopbop9th
  10. Net-a-Porter–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • The RealReal4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • ASOS3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Poshmark3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Farfetch3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Vestiaire Collective3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • SSENSE3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Depop2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Zalando1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Shopbop1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Net-a-Porter0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about fashion marketplaces

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.

Is The RealReal or Zalando more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for The RealReal and Zalando by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten fashion marketplaces we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

The RealReal and Zalando among fashion marketplaces worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Zalando, The RealReal. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthZalandoASOSDepopPoshmarkFarfetchThe RealRealVestiaire CollectiveNet-a-PorterSSENSEShopbop
Oct 202558.2%17.4%6.4%5.2%4.3%2.8%1.9%1.3%1.9%0.57%
Nov 202564.6%15.9%4.8%3.9%3.9%2.1%1.4%1.2%1.7%0.52%
Dec 202562.5%15.4%5.6%4.6%4.6%2.6%1.4%1.1%1.7%0.5%
Jan 202656.7%17%6.2%6.2%5.1%3.3%1.9%1.5%1.5%0.56%
Feb 202654.9%16.5%7.4%7.4%5%3.3%1.8%1.5%1.5%0.67%
Mar 202656.5%16.9%7.6%6.2%5.1%2.7%1.5%1.2%1.5%0.68%
Apr 202658.6%17.6%6.4%5.3%4.3%2.8%1.6%1.3%1.6%0.58%
May 202658.7%17.6%6.4%5.3%4.3%2.9%1.6%1.3%1.3%0.58%
Jun 202659.8%14.7%8%5.4%4.4%2.9%1.3%1.6%1.3%0.59%
Jul 202658.9%14.4%9.7%5.3%4.3%2.9%1.3%1.3%1.3%0.58%
Aug 202658.1%14.3%9.5%6.4%4.3%2.9%1.6%1%1.3%0.57%
Sep 202657.4%14.1%11.5%5.1%4.2%2.9%1.5%1.3%1.3%0.69%

How has the The RealReal and Zalando comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Zalando was ahead of The RealReal in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The RealReal’s share of searches among fashion marketplaces worldwide moved from 2.8% to 2.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 988K to 1M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zalando’s share of searches among fashion marketplaces worldwide moved from 58.2% to 57.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 20.4M.

How did search popularity change for fashion marketplaces worldwide in September 2026?

1 change

  1. In September 2026, Zalando lost share of searches among fashion marketplaces worldwide, from 58.1% to 57.4%.

How are branded searches counted?

3 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using The RealReal’s and Zalando’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.

The RealReal

2 branded search terms

  • the realreal
  • therealreal

Zalando

1 branded search term

  • zalando

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among fashion marketplaces

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