Brandwave

How popular isArea 51?

In September 2026, people searched for Area 51 by name about 5,410 times in New Zealand, an 18.2% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 2.9% of all New Zealand streetwear and surf retailer searches, placing Area 51 eighth out of ten retailers. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about streetwear and surf retailers, Area 51 did not appear in any of the answers.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Area 51 is the eighth most searched of 10 competitors and not listed in any AI answer.

  1. North BeachShare of searches 26.9%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. Culture KingsShare of searches 18.1%Mentioned in 0 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  3. Jay JaysShare of searches 15%Mentioned in 0 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  4. I Love UglyShare of searches 12.1%Mentioned in 2 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  5. Area 51Share of searches 2.9%Mentioned in 0 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –

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Top streetwear and surf retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, Area 51 did not appear in any of the three answers.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. North Beach1st
  2. Backdoor2nd
  3. FallenFront3rd
  4. I Love Ugly4th
  5. Huffer5th
  6. Culture Kings–
  7. Jay Jays–
  8. General Pants Co–
  9. Hype DC–
  10. Area 51–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • North Beach3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Backdoor3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • I Love Ugly2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Huffer2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • FallenFront2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Culture Kings0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Jay Jays0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • General Pants Co0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Hype DC0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Area 510 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers

See every answer about streetwear and surf retailers

3 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which streetwear or surf retailer should I shop at in New Zealand?”

    1. 1North Beach
    2. 2Backdoor

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best streetwear and surf retailers in New Zealand?”

    1. 1North Beach
    2. 2FallenFront
    3. 3Backdoor
    4. 4I Love Ugly
    5. 5Huffer

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best streetwear or surf retailer in New Zealand for streetwear clothes?”

    1. 1FallenFront
    2. 2Backdoor
    3. 3I Love Ugly
    4. 4Huffer
    5. 5North Beach

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “surf shops nz”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “surf and skate shops”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

Not named in any answer:

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

Which streetwear and surf retailers compete with Area 51?

Area 51 against streetwear and surf retailers in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for North Beach, Culture Kings, Jay Jays, I Love Ugly, Huffer, General Pants Co, Hype DC, Area 51, Backdoor. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthNorth BeachCulture KingsJay JaysI Love UglyHufferGeneral Pants CoHype DCArea 51BackdoorFallenFront
Oct 202525.6%21%14.1%11.5%9.2%7.2%3.5%3.4%2.9%1.5%
Nov 202523%23.1%11.5%18.8%7.9%6.5%3.2%2.1%2.8%1.1%
Dec 202529.4%19.8%14.9%10.8%8.3%5.8%3.3%2.1%4.2%1.4%
Jan 202627%22.2%13.5%9.9%8.4%7.9%3.1%3%3.3%1.6%
Feb 202626.2%21.5%13.1%11.7%8.3%7.7%3%3.5%3.2%1.9%
Mar 202621.5%21.6%14.6%14.4%10%6.3%3.6%3.5%2.6%1.9%
Apr 202624.9%20.5%13.9%11.2%11.9%6.2%3.4%3.3%2.9%1.8%
May 202620.1%20.2%13.7%13.4%14%7.2%3.4%3.3%3%1.8%
Jun 202620.9%21.2%11.7%14%15%6.1%3.5%3.4%2.5%1.9%
Jul 202627%18.1%12.3%12.1%14%5.5%3%3.6%2.5%2%
Aug 202620.9%17.1%11.7%20.9%12.5%6.3%3.5%2.8%2.5%1.8%
Sep 202626.9%18.1%15%12.1%9.9%7%3.7%2.9%2.5%2%

  1. 1.North Beach

    26.9%

    Held 1st. 49.6K estimated branded searches, +21.9% vs prior month. Share +6 points.

  2. 2.Culture Kings

    18.1%

    Moved from 3rd to 2nd. 33.4K estimated branded searches, +0.18% vs prior month. Share +1 points.

  3. 3.Jay Jays

    15%

    Moved from 5th to 3rd. 27.7K estimated branded searches, +21.9% vs prior month. Share +3.3 points.

  4. 4.I Love Ugly

    12.1%

    Moved from 2nd to 4th. 22.3K estimated branded searches, -45.2% vs prior month. Share -8.8 points.

  5. 5.Huffer

    9.9%

    Moved from 4th to 5th. 18.2K estimated branded searches, -24.8% vs prior month. Share -2.6 points.

  6. 6.General Pants Co

    7%

    Held 6th. 12.9K estimated branded searches, +4.1% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.

  7. 7.Hype DC

    3.7%

    Held 7th. 6.9K estimated branded searches, +1.3% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  8. 8.Area 51

    2.9%

    Held 8th. 5.4K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  9. 9.Backdoor

    2.5%

    Held 9th. 4.6K estimated branded searches, -6.1% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  10. 10.FallenFront

    2%

    Held 10th. 3.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

Compare popularity between Area 51 and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Area 51

9 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Area 51 changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Area 51 in New Zealand fell from 6.6K to 5.4K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Area 51’s share of searches among streetwear and surf retailers in New Zealand peaked at 3.6% in July 2026 and was lowest at 2.1% in November 2025.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand streetwear and surf retailers in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Culture Kings overtook I Love Ugly to rank 2nd among streetwear and surf retailers in New Zealand, with 18.1% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Jay Jays overtook I Love Ugly and Huffer to rank 3rd among streetwear and surf retailers in New Zealand, with 15% of the searches.

  3. In September 2026, North Beach gained share of searches among streetwear and surf retailers in New Zealand, from 20.9% to 26.9%.

  4. In September 2026, General Pants Co gained share of searches among streetwear and surf retailers in New Zealand, from 6.3% to 7%.

  5. In September 2026, I Love Ugly lost share of searches among streetwear and surf retailers in New Zealand, from 20.9% to 12.1%.

  6. In September 2026, Huffer lost share of searches among streetwear and surf retailers in New Zealand, from 12.5% to 9.9%.

How are Area 51’s branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Area 51’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.

  • area 51
  • area 51 sneakers

Do you work for Area 51? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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