Brandwave

How popular isMelissa & Doug?

In September 2026, people searched for Melissa & Doug by name about 340 times in New Zealand, a 17.1% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 0.27% of all New Zealand toy brand searches, placing Melissa & Doug 12th out of 12 brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about toy brands, Melissa & Doug appeared in four of the five answers and was the second most recommended of the 12.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Melissa & Doug is the 12th most searched of 12 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.

  1. LEGOShare of searches 64.5%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. BarbieShare of searches 15.8%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  3. Hot WheelsShare of searches 8.8%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 9th
  4. ConnetixShare of searches 3.5%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  5. Melissa & DougShare of searches 0.27%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd

+7 more

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Top toy brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Melissa & Doug was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Melissa & Doug is the second most recommended of the 12.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. LEGO1st
  2. Melissa & Doug2nd
  3. Playmobil3rd
  4. Fisher-Price4th
  5. Connetix5th
  6. MAGNA-TILES6th
  7. VTech7th
  8. Ravensburger8th
  9. Hot Wheels9th
  10. Barbie–
  11. +2 more

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Melissa & Doug4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • LEGO3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Connetix3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Playmobil3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • VTech2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Fisher-Price2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • MAGNA-TILES2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Ravensburger2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Hot Wheels1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Barbie0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

+2 more

See every answer about toy 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 19, 2026.

Which toy brands compete with Melissa & Doug?

Melissa & Doug against toy brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Connetix, VTech, Melissa & Doug. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthLEGOBarbieHot WheelsConnetixVTechFisher-PricePlaymobilNerfMAGNA-TILESHasbroRavensburgerMelissa & Doug
Oct 202560.7%17.7%9.4%4.6%2.3%1.3%1.2%0.77%0.75%0.5%0.4%0.35%
Nov 202565.7%16%8.1%2.4%2.7%1.3%1.2%0.9%0.66%0.39%0.3%0.33%
Dec 202571.7%12.6%8.1%1.4%2.2%0.98%0.82%0.77%0.57%0.33%0.34%0.23%
Jan 202675%11.7%7.2%0.93%1.6%0.82%0.68%0.65%0.42%0.52%0.31%0.24%
Feb 202671.1%13.8%7.7%1%1.8%1%1.1%0.74%0.72%0.48%0.32%0.21%
Mar 202666.9%16.4%8.5%1.6%1.7%1.1%1.2%0.73%0.71%0.58%0.3%0.28%
Apr 202670.5%13.7%8.4%1.4%1.8%0.95%1%0.67%0.53%0.53%0.33%0.23%
May 202670.5%14.7%7%1.6%1.9%0.88%0.95%0.74%0.6%0.49%0.41%0.23%
Jun 202669.5%15.1%7.8%1.6%1.9%0.85%0.93%0.6%0.6%0.49%0.38%0.23%
Jul 202667.4%14.8%8.5%2.1%2.1%0.95%1%0.77%0.86%0.62%0.51%0.29%
Aug 202669.1%14.7%8.2%1.8%1.9%1%1%0.67%0.66%0.36%0.45%0.25%
Sep 202664.5%15.8%8.8%3.5%2.4%1.1%0.95%0.82%0.8%0.58%0.48%0.27%

  1. 1.LEGO

    64.5%

    Held 1st. 80.4K estimated branded searches, -12.9% vs prior month. Share -4.6 points.

  2. 2.Barbie

    15.8%

    Held 2nd. 19.7K estimated branded searches, +0.56% vs prior month. Share +1.1 points.

  3. 3.Hot Wheels

    8.8%

    Held 3rd. 11K estimated branded searches, +1% vs prior month. Share +0.7 points.

  4. 4.Connetix

    3.5%

    Moved from 5th to 4th. 4.4K estimated branded searches, +83.3% vs prior month. Share +1.7 points.

  5. 5.VTech

    2.4%

    Moved from 4th to 5th. 3K estimated branded searches, +13.8% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.

  6. 6.Fisher-Price

    1.1%

    Held 6th. 1.4K estimated branded searches, +5.2% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  7. 7.Playmobil

    0.95%

    Held 7th. 1.2K estimated branded searches, -11.9% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  8. 8.Nerf

    0.82%

    Held 8th. 1K estimated branded searches, +13.3% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  9. 9.MAGNA-TILES

    0.8%

    Held 9th. 1K estimated branded searches, +13.6% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  10. 10.Hasbro

    0.58%

    Moved from 11th to 10th. 720 estimated branded searches, +50% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  11. 11.Ravensburger

    0.48%

    Moved from 10th to 11th. 600 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  12. 12.Melissa & Doug

    0.27%

    Held 12th. 340 estimated branded searches, +3% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Melissa & Doug and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Melissa & Doug

20 comparisons

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

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Melissa & Doug in New Zealand fell from 410 to 340.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Melissa & Doug’s share of searches among toy brands in New Zealand held steady, from 0.35% to 0.27%.

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

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Connetix overtook VTech to rank 4th among toy brands in New Zealand, with 3.5% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Barbie gained share of searches among toy brands in New Zealand, from 14.7% to 15.8%.

  3. In September 2026, Hot Wheels gained share of searches among toy brands in New Zealand, from 8.2% to 8.8%.

  4. In September 2026, LEGO lost share of searches among toy brands in New Zealand, from 69.1% to 64.5%.

  5. In September 2026, Hasbro rose from 11th to 10th among toy brands in New Zealand.

  6. In September 2026, Ravensburger fell from 10th to 11th among toy brands in New Zealand.

How are Melissa & Doug’s branded searches counted?

5 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Melissa & Doug’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.

  • melissa & doug
  • melissa doug
  • melissa doug set
  • melissadoug
  • melissadoug toys

Do you work for Melissa & Doug? 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 Melissa & Doug compete?

Melissa & Doug is ranked in four competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Toy brands12th of 120.27%Shown above
Play kitchen brands6th of 81.2%Show ranking
Dollhouse brands4th of 78.3%Show ranking
Farm animals brands4th of 69%Show ranking
Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

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