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 55.7% of all New Zealand cargo shorts brand searches, placing Cotton On first out of ten brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cargo shorts brands, Cotton On appeared in three of the five answers and was the fifth most recommended of the ten.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Cotton On is the most searched of 10 competitors and the fifth most recommended in AI answers.

  1. Cotton OnShare of searches 55.7%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  2. KathmanduShare of searches 16.6%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  3. Mountain WarehouseShare of searches 14.3%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  4. AS ColourShare of searches 9.5%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
  5. Stoney CreekShare of searches 2.9%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th

+5 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 shorts 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 two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Cotton On is the fifth most recommended of the ten.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Mountain Warehouse1st
  2. Hard Yakka2nd
  3. Kathmandu3rd
  4. Stoney Creek4th
  5. Cotton On5th
  6. AS Colour6th
  7. Helly Hansen7th
  8. Lee–
  9. Wrangler–
  10. Dickies–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Mountain Warehouse4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Cotton On3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Hard Yakka3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Kathmandu2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • AS Colour2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Stoney Creek2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Helly Hansen2 of 5Named in 2 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
  • Wrangler0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Dickies0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about cargo shorts 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 shorts brands compete with Cotton On?

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

Share of searches by month for Cotton On, Kathmandu, Mountain Warehouse, AS Colour, Stoney Creek. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthCotton OnKathmanduMountain WarehouseAS ColourStoney CreekHard YakkaHelly HansenLeeWranglerDickies
Oct 202554.6%16.4%14.1%11.5%2.3%0.61%0.37%0.11%0.02%0.01%
Nov 202556.1%16.8%12%12%2.4%0.4%0.32%0.08%0.01%<0.01%
Dec 202555.2%17.7%14.6%9.8%2%0.31%0.47%0.05%0.01%<0.01%
Jan 202651.6%19.9%16.2%8.9%2.2%0.56%0.51%0.09%<0.01%<0.01%
Feb 202655.3%17.2%14.4%9.6%2.4%0.6%0.38%0.11%0.01%<0.01%
Mar 202655.1%16.9%14.5%9.7%2.9%0.52%0.31%0.09%0.01%<0.01%
Apr 202652.7%19.6%13.9%9.3%3.4%0.54%0.37%0.09%0.02%<0.01%
May 202654.3%17.1%14.3%9.6%3.5%0.61%0.38%0.11%0.02%<0.01%
Jun 202647.1%21.7%15.2%10.2%4.5%0.72%0.4%0.12%0.02%<0.01%
Jul 202644.9%21%21.6%7.9%3.5%0.62%0.38%0.11%0.02%<0.01%
Aug 202648.9%17.7%18.8%10.3%3.1%0.58%0.48%0.12%0.02%<0.01%
Sep 202655.7%16.6%14.3%9.5%2.9%0.6%0.37%0.09%0.02%0.01%

  1. 1.Cotton On

    55.7%

    Held 1st. 193K estimated branded searches, +0.24% vs prior month. Share +6.7 points.

  2. 2.Kathmandu

    16.6%

    Moved from 3rd to 2nd. 57.6K estimated branded searches, -17.6% vs prior month. Share -1.1 points.

  3. 3.Mountain Warehouse

    14.3%

    Moved from 2nd to 3rd. 49.5K estimated branded searches, -33.1% vs prior month. Share -4.5 points.

  4. 4.AS Colour

    9.5%

    Held 4th. 33.1K estimated branded searches, -18.3% vs prior month. Share -0.7 points.

  5. 5.Stoney Creek

    2.9%

    Held 5th. 9.9K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.

  6. 6.Hard Yakka

    0.6%

    Held 6th. 2.1K estimated branded searches, -9.6% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  7. 7.Helly Hansen

    0.37%

    Held 7th. 1.3K estimated branded searches, -31.6% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  8. 8.Lee

    0.09%

    Held 8th. 320 estimated branded searches, -33.3% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  9. 9.Wrangler

    0.02%

    Held 9th. 70 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  10. 10.Dickies

    0.01%

    Held 10th. 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?

3 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 shorts brands in New Zealand increased from 54.6% to 55.7%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cotton On’s share of searches among cargo shorts brands in New Zealand peaked at 56.1% in November 2025 and was lowest at 44.9% in July 2026.

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

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Cotton On gained share of searches among cargo shorts brands in New Zealand, from 48.9% to 55.7%.

  2. In September 2026, Mountain Warehouse lost share of searches among cargo shorts brands in New Zealand, from 18.8% to 14.3%.

  3. In September 2026, Kathmandu lost share of searches among cargo shorts brands in New Zealand, from 17.7% to 16.6%.

  4. In September 2026, AS Colour lost share of searches among cargo shorts brands in New Zealand, from 10.3% to 9.5%.

  5. Stoney Creek’s share of searches among cargo shorts brands in New Zealand has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 4.5% to 2.9% in September 2026.

  6. 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%Shown above
Cargo pants brands1st of 769.4%Show ranking
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