Brandwave

How popular isKFC?

In September 2026, people searched for KFC by name about 232,000 times in New Zealand, a 37.2% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 26.5% of all New Zealand fast food chain searches, placing KFC first out of 14 chains. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about fast food chains, KFC appeared in all answers and was the third most recommended of the 14.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

KFC is the most searched of 14 competitors and the third most recommended in AI answers.

  1. KFCShare of searches 26.5%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  2. McDonald'sShare of searches 21%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  3. Burger KingShare of searches 13.8%Mentioned in 0 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  4. Hell PizzaShare of searches 9.1%Mentioned in 1 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
  5. Taco BellShare of searches 5.8%Mentioned in 1 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 8th

+9 more

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Top fast food chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, KFC appeared in all three answers. KFC is the third most recommended of the 14.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. BurgerFuel1st
  2. McDonald's2nd
  3. KFC3rd
  4. Wendy's4th
  5. Subway5th
  6. Hell Pizza6th
  7. Carl's Jr.7th
  8. Taco Bell8th
  9. Pita Pit9th
  10. Burger King–
  11. +4 more

Mentioned by AI

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

  • KFC3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • McDonald's3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • BurgerFuel3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Subway3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Wendy's2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Hell Pizza1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Taco Bell1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Carl's Jr.1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Pita Pit1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Burger King0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers

+4 more

See every answer about fast food chains

3 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 19, 2026.

Which fast food chains compete with KFC?

KFC against fast food chains in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for KFC, McDonald's, Burger King, Hell Pizza, Taco Bell, Nando's, Wendy's, Carl's Jr., BurgerFuel, Popeyes, Pita Pit. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthKFCMcDonald'sBurger KingHell PizzaTaco BellNando'sWendy'sCarl's Jr.BurgerFuelPopeyesPita PitZambreroSubwayMexicali Fresh
Oct 202531%21.6%11.9%10.1%3.6%3.9%3.6%4%2.8%3.4%2.2%0.84%0.59%0.48%
Nov 202528.7%23.8%11.4%9.4%4%4.3%3.9%3.1%3.1%3.6%2.5%0.95%0.64%0.54%
Dec 202526.5%25.6%11.8%10%5.4%3.9%3.6%2.7%2.8%3.3%2.3%1%0.48%0.48%
Jan 202621.6%28%12.9%9.1%5.7%4.3%4.1%3%3.1%3.6%2.5%0.96%0.64%0.53%
Feb 202623.8%26.5%12.2%10.2%5.2%4%3.6%3.3%2.8%3.3%2.9%1%0.61%0.59%
Mar 202623.5%26.6%12.3%9.8%5.2%4.2%4.2%3.3%2.7%3.3%2.7%1%0.7%0.56%
Apr 202623.6%26.7%12.3%9.8%5.4%4.3%3.6%3.4%3.3%3.3%2.2%1%0.67%0.46%
May 202624.7%23.2%14.2%9.9%5.5%4.5%3.5%3.4%3.3%3.5%2.2%1%0.69%0.47%
Jun 202626.2%21%13.5%10.5%5.7%4.2%3.8%3.5%3.6%3.6%2.3%1.1%0.74%0.5%
Jul 202626.6%21.3%11.7%10.5%6%4.8%3.9%3.6%3.6%3.5%2.3%0.91%0.73%0.51%
Aug 202626.2%21%11.9%11%5.9%4.8%4%3.7%3.1%3.7%2.4%0.96%0.82%0.53%
Sep 202626.5%21%13.8%9.1%5.8%4.8%4.1%3.8%3.1%3%2.4%0.98%0.89%0.54%

  1. 1.KFC

    26.5%

    Held 1st. 231K estimated branded searches, -0.34% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.

  2. 2.McDonald's

    21%

    Held 2nd. 183K estimated branded searches, -1.5% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  3. 3.Burger King

    13.8%

    Held 3rd. 120K estimated branded searches, +14.4% vs prior month. Share +1.9 points.

  4. 4.Hell Pizza

    9.1%

    Held 4th. 79.8K estimated branded searches, -17.8% vs prior month. Share -1.8 points.

  5. 5.Taco Bell

    5.8%

    Held 5th. 51K estimated branded searches, -2.9% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  6. 6.Nando's

    4.8%

    Held 6th. 42.2K estimated branded searches, -0.64% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  7. 7.Wendy's

    4.1%

    Held 7th. 35.5K estimated branded searches, +1.2% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  8. 8.Carl's Jr.

    3.8%

    Held 8th. 33.2K estimated branded searches, +0.36% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  9. 9.BurgerFuel

    3.1%

    Moved from 10th to 9th. 27.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  10. 10.Popeyes

    3%

    Moved from 9th to 10th. 26.5K estimated branded searches, -18.3% vs prior month. Share -0.6 points.

  11. 11.Pita Pit

    2.4%

    Held 11th. 21.3K estimated branded searches, -0.7% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  12. 12.Zambrero

    0.98%

    Held 12th. 8.6K estimated branded searches, +0.71% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  13. 13.Subway

    0.89%

    Held 13th. 7.8K estimated branded searches, +6.6% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  14. 14.Mexicali Fresh

    0.54%

    Held 14th. 4.7K estimated branded searches, +0.85% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between KFC and its closest rivals

Every comparison with KFC

15 comparisons

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

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for KFC in New Zealand fell from 369K to 232K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, KFC’s share of searches among fast food chains in New Zealand decreased from 31% to 26.5%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, KFC’s share of searches among fast food chains in New Zealand peaked at 31% in October 2025 and was lowest at 21.6% in January 2026.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand fast food chains in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Burger King gained share of searches among fast food chains in New Zealand, from 11.9% to 13.8%.

  2. In September 2026, Hell Pizza lost share of searches among fast food chains in New Zealand, from 11% to 9.1%.

  3. In September 2026, Popeyes lost share of searches among fast food chains in New Zealand, from 3.7% to 3%.

  4. Nando's’ share of searches among fast food chains in New Zealand has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 4.2% to 4.8% in September 2026.

  5. In September 2026, BurgerFuel rose from 10th to 9th among fast food chains in New Zealand.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Taco Bell in New Zealand rose 18.6% over 12 measured months, from 43K to 51K in September 2026.

How are KFC’s branded searches counted?

17 search terms

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

  • kfc
  • kfc bombay
  • kfc botany
  • kfc bucket
  • kfc c
  • kfc chicken
  • kfc delivery
  • kfc eastgate
  • kfc henderson
  • kfc lynfield
  • kfc menu
  • kfc pakuranga
  • kfc panmure
  • kfc richmond
  • kfc snack box
  • kfc sylvia park
  • kfc trading hours

Do you work for KFC? 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 KFC compete?

KFC is ranked in two competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Fast food chains1st of 1426.5%Shown above
Fried chicken chains1st of 572.3%Show ranking
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