Brandwave

How popular isPaper Plus?

In September 2026, people searched for Paper Plus by name about 55,700 times in New Zealand, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 19.6% of all New Zealand bookshop searches, placing Paper Plus third out of six bookshops. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about bookshops, Paper Plus did not appear in any of the answers.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Paper Plus is the third most searched of 6 competitors and not listed in any AI answer.

  1. Mighty ApeShare of searches 40.9%Mentioned in 0 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  2. WhitcoullsShare of searches 26%Mentioned in 0 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  3. Paper PlusShare of searches 19.6%Mentioned in 0 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  4. Unity BooksShare of searches 8%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  5. Scorpio BooksShare of searches 4.3%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd

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Top bookshops in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, Paper Plus 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. Unity Books1st
  2. Scorpio Books2nd
  3. Time Out Bookstore3rd
  4. Mighty Ape–
  5. Whitcoulls–
  6. Paper Plus–

Mentioned by AI

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

See every answer about bookshops

3 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which bookshop should I shop at in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Unity Books
    2. 2Time Out Bookstore
    3. 3Scorpio Books

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best bookshops in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Unity Books
    2. 2Scorpio Books

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best bookshop in New Zealand for new books?”

    1. 1Unity Books
    2. 2Scorpio Books

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “bookshops nz”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “bookshop online nz”

    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 bookshops compete with Paper Plus?

Paper Plus against bookshops in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Mighty Ape, Whitcoulls, Paper Plus, Unity Books, Scorpio Books. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthMighty ApeWhitcoullsPaper PlusUnity BooksScorpio BooksTime Out Bookstore
Oct 202545.7%27.3%17.9%4.9%3.2%1%
Nov 202550.7%24.9%16.2%4.4%2.9%0.88%
Dec 202545%27.4%17.8%4.9%3.9%1%
Jan 202640.4%25.2%23.8%5.3%4.3%1%
Feb 202641.5%26.3%20.1%6.6%4.4%1.2%
Mar 202641.9%26%20%6.7%4.4%1.1%
Apr 202643%26.9%17.2%6.9%4.6%1.4%
May 202643%27.2%17.2%6.9%4.6%1.2%
Jun 202644%27.1%17.4%5.7%4.7%1.2%
Jul 202643.4%26.7%17.3%6.9%4.6%1.1%
Aug 202643%27%17.2%6.9%4.6%1.3%
Sep 202640.9%26%19.6%8%4.3%1.2%

  1. 1.Mighty Ape

    40.9%

    Held 1st. 114K estimated branded searches, +0.11% vs prior month. Share -2.2 points.

  2. 2.Whitcoulls

    26%

    Held 2nd. 72.5K estimated branded searches, +1.6% vs prior month. Share -1 points.

  3. 3.Paper Plus

    19.6%

    Held 3rd. 54.7K estimated branded searches, +20.1% vs prior month. Share +2.4 points.

  4. 4.Unity Books

    8%

    Held 4th. 22.4K estimated branded searches, +22.5% vs prior month. Share +1.1 points.

  5. 5.Scorpio Books

    4.3%

    Held 5th. 12.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.

  6. 6.Time Out Bookstore

    1.2%

    Held 6th. 3.3K estimated branded searches, -2.7% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

Compare popularity between Paper Plus and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Paper Plus

11 comparisons

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

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Paper Plus in New Zealand held steady at 55.7K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Paper Plus’ share of searches among bookshops in New Zealand increased from 17.9% to 19.6%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Paper Plus’ share of searches among bookshops in New Zealand peaked at 23.8% in January 2026 and was lowest at 16.2% in November 2025.

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

5 changes

  1. In September 2026, Paper Plus gained share of searches among bookshops in New Zealand, from 17.2% to 19.6%.

  2. In September 2026, Unity Books gained share of searches among bookshops in New Zealand, from 6.9% to 8%.

  3. In September 2026, Mighty Ape lost share of searches among bookshops in New Zealand, from 43% to 40.9%.

  4. In September 2026, Whitcoulls lost share of searches among bookshops in New Zealand, from 27% to 26%.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Scorpio Books in New Zealand rose 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 9.9K to 12.1K in September 2026.

How are Paper Plus’ branded searches counted?

19 search terms

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

  • barrington paper plus
  • Paper Plus
  • paper plus books
  • paper plus coastlands
  • paper plus eastridge
  • paper plus gifts
  • paper plus havelock
  • paper plus henderson
  • paper plus lego
  • paper plus meadowbank
  • paper plus northlands
  • paper plus notebooks
  • paper plus sale
  • paper plus stationery
  • paper plus westcity
  • paperplus cambridge
  • paperplus gifts
  • paperplus gore
  • paperplus notebooks

Do you work for Paper Plus? 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 Paper Plus compete?

Paper Plus 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
office and stationery retailers3rd of 417.7%Show ranking
Bookshops3rd of 619.6%Shown above
Gift and stationery stores2nd of 637%Show ranking
Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

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