Brandwave

How popular isWhitcoulls?

In September 2026, people searched for Whitcoulls by name about 73,400 times in New Zealand, a 13.3% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 26% of all New Zealand bookshop searches, placing Whitcoulls second out of six bookshops. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about bookshops, Whitcoulls did not appear in any of the answers.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Whitcoulls is the second 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

+1 more

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Top bookshops in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, Whitcoulls 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 Whitcoulls?

Whitcoulls 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 Whitcoulls and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Whitcoulls

11 comparisons

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

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Whitcoulls in New Zealand fell from 84.6K to 73.4K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Whitcoulls’ share of searches among bookshops in New Zealand decreased from 27.3% to 26%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Whitcoulls’ share of searches among bookshops in New Zealand peaked at 27.4% in December 2025 and was lowest at 24.9% 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 Whitcoulls’ branded searches counted?

21 search terms

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

  • Whitcoulls
  • whitcoulls books
  • whitcoulls botany
  • whitcoulls centreplace
  • whitcoulls cuba
  • whitcoulls cuba st
  • whitcoulls lambton
  • whitcoulls lambton quay
  • whitcoulls north west
  • whitcoulls northlands
  • whitcoulls office supplies
  • whitcoulls palms
  • whitcoulls queensgate
  • whitcoulls sale
  • whitcoulls shirley
  • whitcoulls south city
  • whitcoulls st lukes
  • whitcoulls stationery
  • whitcoulls sylvia park
  • whitcoulls the base
  • whitcoulls voucher

Do you work for Whitcoulls? 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 Whitcoulls compete?

Whitcoulls 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 retailers2nd of 423.3%Show ranking
Bookshops2nd of 626%Shown above
Gift and stationery stores1st of 649%Show ranking
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