---
title: "Bookshops in New Zealand: Which brands are most popular in search?"
description: "Compare the bookshops New Zealanders buy new books from, in store and online. Share of Search among Mighty Ape, Whitcoulls, Paper Plus, Unity Books, Scorpio Books and Time Out Bookstore, the bookshops Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-bookshops"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Bookshops in New Zealand: Which brands are most popular in search?

Compare the bookshops New Zealanders buy new books from, in store and online. Share of Search among Mighty Ape, Whitcoulls, Paper Plus, Unity Books, Scorpio Books and Time Out Bookstore, the bookshops Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Bookshops
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Brands compared**: 6
- **Month measured**: Aug 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Mighty Ape, 43.3%

## Which brand is most popular in search among bookshops in New Zealand?

- In August 2026, Mighty Ape was the most searched among bookshops in New Zealand, with an estimated 140K branded searches and 43.3% estimated Share of Search within this set.
- Whitcoulls is in 2nd place, 15.6 percentage points behind at 27.7% Share of Search.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Mighty Ape’s estimated Share of Search among bookshops in New Zealand decreased from 47% to 43.3%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Whitcoulls’ estimated Share of Search among bookshops in New Zealand increased from 26.7% to 27.7%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Unity Books’ estimated Share of Search among bookshops in New Zealand increased from 4.1% to 5.7%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Scorpio Books’ estimated Share of Search among bookshops in New Zealand increased from 2.7% to 3.8%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Mighty Ape’s estimated Share of Search among bookshops in New Zealand peaked at 52.5% in November 2025 and was lowest at 40.6% in January 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Whitcoulls’ estimated Share of Search among bookshops in New Zealand peaked at 27.9% in May 2026 and was lowest at 24.2% in November 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Paper Plus’ estimated Share of Search among bookshops in New Zealand peaked at 24.8% in January 2026 and was lowest at 16.5% in November 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Unity Books’ estimated Share of Search among bookshops in New Zealand peaked at 5.8% in July 2026 and was lowest at 3.7% in November 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Scorpio Books’ estimated Share of Search among bookshops in New Zealand peaked at 3.9% in June 2026 and was lowest at 2.4% in November 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Paper Plus and Time Out Bookstore held steady: their estimated Share of Search among bookshops in New Zealand each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Mighty Ape vs Whitcoulls: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/mighty-ape-vs-whitcoulls): 43.3% against 27.7% Share of Search.
- [Mighty Ape vs Paper Plus: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/mighty-ape-vs-paper-plus): 43.3% against 18.5% Share of Search.
- [Mighty Ape vs Unity Books: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/mighty-ape-vs-unity-books): 43.3% against 5.7% Share of Search.
- [Mighty Ape vs Scorpio Books: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/mighty-ape-vs-scorpio-books): 43.3% against 3.8% Share of Search.
- [Whitcoulls vs Paper Plus: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/paper-plus-vs-whitcoulls): 27.7% against 18.5% Share of Search.
- [Whitcoulls vs Unity Books: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/unity-books-vs-whitcoulls): 27.7% against 5.7% Share of Search.
- [Whitcoulls vs Scorpio Books: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/scorpio-books-vs-whitcoulls): 27.7% against 3.8% Share of Search.
- [Paper Plus vs Unity Books: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/paper-plus-vs-unity-books): 18.5% against 5.7% Share of Search.
- [Paper Plus vs Scorpio Books: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/paper-plus-vs-scorpio-books): 18.5% against 3.8% Share of Search.
- [Unity Books vs Scorpio Books: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/scorpio-books-vs-unity-books): 5.7% against 3.8% Share of Search.

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

- In August 2026, Whitcoulls gained estimated Share of Search among bookshops in New Zealand, from 26.9% to 27.7%.
- In August 2026, Mighty Ape lost estimated Share of Search among bookshops in New Zealand, from 44.2% to 43.3%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Scorpio Books in New Zealand rose 22.4% over 11 measured months, from 10K to 12.2K in August 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Unity Books in New Zealand rose 21.8% over 11 measured months, from 15.1K to 18.4K in August 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Paper Plus in New Zealand fell 11.6% over 11 measured months, from 67.5K to 59.7K in August 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Mighty Ape | 43.3% | 140K | +0.1% | Kogan.com |
| 2 | Whitcoulls | 27.7% | 89.6K | +5.2% | WHITCOULLS 2011 LIMITED |
| 3 | Paper Plus | 18.5% | 59.7K | +2.5% | PAPER PLUS NEW ZEALAND LIMITED |
| 4 | Unity Books | 5.7% | 18.4K | -0.1% | Unity Books |
| 5 | Scorpio Books | 3.8% | 12.2K | +0.2% | Scorpio Books |
| 6 | Time Out Bookstore | 1.1% | 3.5K | +13.9% | Time Out Bookstore |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Mighty Ape | 171K | 47% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Whitcoulls | 97.2K | 26.7% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Paper Plus | 67.5K | 18.5% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Unity Books | 15.1K | 4.1% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Scorpio Books | 10K | 2.7% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Time Out Bookstore | 3.1K | 0.86% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Mighty Ape | 264K | 52.5% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Whitcoulls | 122K | 24.2% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Paper Plus | 83.3K | 16.5% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Unity Books | 18.4K | 3.7% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Scorpio Books | 12.2K | 2.4% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Time Out Bookstore | 3.7K | 0.73% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Mighty Ape | 310K | 44.8% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Whitcoulls | 192K | 27.7% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Paper Plus | 136K | 19.5% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Unity Books | 27.6K | 4% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Scorpio Books | 22.3K | 3.2% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Time Out Bookstore | 5.8K | 0.83% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Mighty Ape | 171K | 40.6% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Whitcoulls | 110K | 26% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Paper Plus | 105K | 24.8% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Unity Books | 18.4K | 4.3% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Scorpio Books | 14.9K | 3.5% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Time Out Bookstore | 3.7K | 0.87% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Mighty Ape | 141K | 41.9% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Whitcoulls | 89K | 26.5% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Paper Plus | 72.3K | 21.5% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Unity Books | 18.3K | 5.5% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Scorpio Books | 12.2K | 3.6% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Time Out Bookstore | 3.4K | 1% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Mighty Ape | 140K | 42.5% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Whitcoulls | 87K | 26.3% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Paper Plus | 69.4K | 21% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Unity Books | 18.4K | 5.6% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Scorpio Books | 12.2K | 3.7% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Time Out Bookstore | 2.9K | 0.88% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Mighty Ape | 140K | 43.6% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Whitcoulls | 87.3K | 27.2% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Paper Plus | 59.2K | 18.5% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Unity Books | 18.4K | 5.7% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Scorpio Books | 12.2K | 3.8% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Time Out Bookstore | 3.7K | 1.2% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Mighty Ape | 140K | 43.3% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Whitcoulls | 90.1K | 27.9% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Paper Plus | 59.3K | 18.4% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Unity Books | 18.4K | 5.7% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Scorpio Books | 12.2K | 3.8% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Time Out Bookstore | 3.2K | 0.98% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Mighty Ape | 140K | 44.9% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Whitcoulls | 85.2K | 27.2% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Paper Plus | 57K | 18.2% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Unity Books | 15.1K | 4.8% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Scorpio Books | 12.2K | 3.9% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Time Out Bookstore | 3K | 0.97% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Mighty Ape | 140K | 44.2% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Whitcoulls | 85.2K | 26.9% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Paper Plus | 58.2K | 18.4% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Unity Books | 18.4K | 5.8% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Scorpio Books | 12.2K | 3.8% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Time Out Bookstore | 3K | 0.96% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Mighty Ape | 140K | 43.3% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Whitcoulls | 89.6K | 27.7% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Paper Plus | 59.7K | 18.5% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Unity Books | 18.4K | 5.7% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Scorpio Books | 12.2K | 3.8% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Time Out Bookstore | 3.5K | 1.1% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Mighty Ape | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Paper Plus | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Scorpio Books | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Time Out Bookstore | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Unity Books | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Whitcoulls | — | — | — |

## What is being compared

- **Mighty Ape**: Measured on the search terms “contact mighty ape”, “Mighty Ape”, “mighty ape address”, “mighty ape after pay”, “mighty ape app”, “mighty ape au”, “mighty ape auckland”, “mighty ape books”, “mighty ape christchurch”, “mighty ape co nz”, “mighty ape contact”, “mighty ape games”, “mighty ape hours”, “mighty ape jellycat”, “mighty ape lego”, “mighty ape mobile”, “mighty ape near me”, “mighty ape new zealand”, “mighty ape nz”, “mighty ape nz store”, “mighty ape online”, “mighty ape online shopping”, “mighty ape opening hours”, “mighty ape phones”, “mighty ape pokemon”, “mighty ape ps5”, “mighty ape sale”, “mighty ape shop”, “mighty ape silverdale”, “mighty ape store”, “mighty ape stores”, “mighty ape toys”, “mighty ape wellington”, “mightyapenz”, “ps5 mighty ape” and “the mighty ape”, summed into one figure.
- **Paper Plus**: Measured on the search terms “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 highland park”, “paper plus lego”, “paper plus meadowbank”, “paper plus near me”, “paper plus north city”, “paper plus northlands”, “paper plus notebooks”, “paper plus nz”, “paper plus office supplies”, “paper plus online”, “paper plus online shopping”, “paper plus pencil case”, “paper plus remuera road”, “paper plus sale”, “paper plus stationery”, “paper plus store”, “paper plus sylvia park”, “paper plus tower junction”, “paper plus westcity”, “paperplus cambridge”, “paperplus co nz”, “paperplus gifts”, “paperplus gore”, “paperplus notebooks” and “paperplus nz”, summed into one figure.
- **Scorpio Books**: Measured on the search terms “scorpio books”, “scorpio books near me”, “scorpio books new zealand”, “scorpio books online” and “scorpiobooks”, summed into one figure.
- **Time Out Bookstore**: Measured on the search terms “time out books”, “time out bookstore nz” and “timeout bookstore”, summed into one figure.
- **Unity Books**: Measured on the search terms “little unity books”, “unity books”, “unity books bestseller list”, “unity books hours”, “unity books near me”, “unity books online”, “unity books opening hours” and “unitybooks”, summed into one figure.
- **Whitcoulls**: Measured on the search terms “Whitcoulls”, “whitcoulls books”, “whitcoulls botany”, “whitcoulls centreplace”, “whitcoulls co nz”, “whitcoulls cuba”, “whitcoulls cuba st”, “whitcoulls lambton”, “whitcoulls lambton quay”, “whitcoulls near me”, “whitcoulls north west”, “whitcoulls northlands”, “whitcoulls nz”, “whitcoulls office supplies”, “whitcoulls online”, “whitcoulls palms”, “whitcoulls queensgate”, “whitcoulls sale”, “whitcoulls shirley”, “whitcoulls south city”, “whitcoulls st lukes”, “whitcoulls stationery”, “whitcoulls sylvia park”, “whitcoulls sylvia park express”, “whitcoulls the base” and “whitcoulls voucher”, summed into one figure.

- [Mighty Ape](/demand/nz/brands/mighty-ape)
- [Paper Plus](/demand/nz/brands/paper-plus)
- [Scorpio Books](/demand/nz/brands/scorpio-books)
- [Time Out Bookstore](/demand/nz/brands/time-out-bookstore)
- [Unity Books](/demand/nz/brands/unity-books)
- [Whitcoulls](/demand/nz/brands/whitcoulls)

## Methodology

- [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among bookshops in New Zealand?

In August 2026, Mighty Ape was the most searched among bookshops in New Zealand, with an estimated 140K branded searches and 43.3% estimated Share of Search within this set.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Bookshops in New Zealand: Which brands are most popular in search?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-bookshops

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-bookshops. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.