Brandwave

How popular isCotton On?

In September 2026, people searched for Cotton On by name about 195,000 times in New Zealand, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 69.4% of all New Zealand cargo pants brand searches, placing Cotton On first out of seven brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cargo pants brands, Cotton On appeared in three of the five answers and was the fourth most recommended of the seven.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Cotton On is the most searched of 7 competitors and the fourth most recommended in AI answers.

  1. Cotton OnShare of searches 69.4%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  2. KathmanduShare of searches 20.7%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  3. I Love UglyShare of searches 8%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  4. Levi'sShare of searches 1.1%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  5. Hard YakkaShare of searches 0.75%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th

+2 more

Cotton On website (opens in a new tab)

Follow Cotton On and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Top cargo pants brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Cotton On was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Cotton On is the fourth most recommended of the seven.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Dickies1st
  2. Kathmandu2nd
  3. I Love Ugly3rd
  4. Cotton On4th
  5. Hard Yakka5th
  6. Levi's–
  7. Lee–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Kathmandu4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Cotton On3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • I Love Ugly3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Dickies3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Hard Yakka2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Levi's0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Lee0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about cargo pants brands

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.

Which cargo pants brands compete with Cotton On?

Cotton On against cargo pants brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Cotton On, Kathmandu, I Love Ugly. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthCotton OnKathmanduI Love UglyLevi'sHard YakkaLeeDickies
Oct 202569.2%20.7%8%1.1%0.77%0.14%0.01%
Nov 202565.3%19.5%14%0.67%0.46%0.09%<0.01%
Dec 202568.8%22%8.2%0.56%0.38%0.06%<0.01%
Jan 202666.5%25.6%6.3%0.78%0.72%0.11%<0.01%
Feb 202669.9%21.7%6.7%0.84%0.76%0.14%0.01%
Mar 202669.1%21.1%8.2%0.89%0.65%0.12%<0.01%
Apr 202667%24.9%6.5%0.76%0.69%0.11%<0.01%
May 202668.4%21.6%8.1%0.94%0.77%0.14%<0.01%
Jun 202661%28.1%8.8%0.97%0.94%0.16%<0.01%
Jul 202661.9%28.9%7.3%0.86%0.86%0.16%<0.01%
Aug 202662.3%22.6%13.1%1%0.74%0.16%<0.01%
Sep 202669.4%20.7%8%1.1%0.75%0.11%0.01%

  1. 1.Cotton On

    69.4%

    Held 1st. 193K estimated branded searches, +0.24% vs prior month. Share +7.1 points.

  2. 2.Kathmandu

    20.7%

    Held 2nd. 57.6K estimated branded searches, -17.6% vs prior month. Share -1.9 points.

  3. 3.I Love Ugly

    8%

    Held 3rd. 22.3K estimated branded searches, -45.2% vs prior month. Share -5.1 points.

  4. 4.Levi's

    1.1%

    Held 4th. 3K estimated branded searches, -6.9% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  5. 5.Hard Yakka

    0.75%

    Held 5th. 2.1K estimated branded searches, -9.6% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  6. 6.Lee

    0.11%

    Held 6th. 320 estimated branded searches, -33.3% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  7. 7.Dickies

    0.01%

    Held 7th. 40 estimated branded searches, +33.3% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Cotton On and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Cotton On

19 comparisons

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

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Cotton On in New Zealand held steady, from 194K to 195K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cotton On’s share of searches among cargo pants brands in New Zealand peaked at 69.9% in February 2026 and was lowest at 61% in June 2026.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand cargo pants brands in September 2026?

4 changes

  1. In September 2026, Cotton On gained share of searches among cargo pants brands in New Zealand, from 62.3% to 69.4%.

  2. In September 2026, I Love Ugly lost share of searches among cargo pants brands in New Zealand, from 13.1% to 8%.

  3. In September 2026, Kathmandu lost share of searches among cargo pants brands in New Zealand, from 22.6% to 20.7%.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for Lee in New Zealand fell 17.9% over 12 measured months, from 390 to 320 in September 2026.

How are Cotton On’s branded searches counted?

14 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cotton On’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.

  • cotton on
  • cotton on activewear
  • cotton on body
  • cotton on clothing
  • cotton on dresses
  • cotton on jeans
  • cotton on mega
  • cotton on outlets
  • cotton on shoes
  • cotton on shorts
  • cotton on tops
  • cottonon
  • cottonon clothing
  • cottonon dresses

Do you work for Cotton On? 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

Where does Cotton On compete?

Cotton On is ranked in three competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Women's fashion retailers1st of 1030%Show ranking
Cargo shorts brands1st of 1055.7%Show ranking
Cargo pants brands1st of 769.4%Shown above
Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Is Cotton On your brand?

Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.

Start free