Brandwave

Cotton On vs Hard Yakka:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Cotton On had more branded searches than Hard Yakka among cargo pants brands in New Zealand. Cotton On had about 193,000 branded searches, while Hard Yakka had 2,080. Cotton On made up 69.4% of all cargo pants brand searches we track, and Hard Yakka accounted for 0.75%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cargo pants brands, Cotton On appeared in three of the five answers and Hard Yakka in two. Cotton On was mentioned before Hard Yakka in two out of three answers that named either.

Among cargo pants brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Cotton On, about 93 searches for every 1 for Hard Yakka

Cotton On 193K searchesHard Yakka 2.1K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Cotton On, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Hard Yakka in 2

Cotton On in 3 of 5Hard Yakka in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Cotton On, named ahead of Hard Yakka in 2 of 3 answers

Cotton On first in 2Hard Yakka first in 1

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Top cargo pants brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Cotton On was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Hard Yakka was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Cotton On was listed before Hard Yakka in two out of three answers that named either.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Dickies1st
  2. Kathmandu2nd
  3. I Love Ugly3rd
  4. Cotton On4th
  5. Hard Yakka5th
  6. Levi's–
  7. Lee–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Kathmandu4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Cotton On3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • I Love Ugly3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Dickies3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Hard Yakka2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Levi's0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Lee0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about cargo pants 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 20, 2026.

Is Cotton On or Hard Yakka more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Cotton On and Hard Yakka by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven cargo pants brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Cotton On and Hard Yakka among cargo pants brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Cotton On, Hard Yakka. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthCotton OnKathmanduI Love UglyLevi'sHard YakkaLeeDickies
Oct 202569.2%20.7%8%1.1%0.77%0.14%0.01%
Nov 202565.3%19.5%14%0.67%0.46%0.09%<0.01%
Dec 202568.8%22%8.2%0.56%0.38%0.06%<0.01%
Jan 202666.5%25.6%6.3%0.78%0.72%0.11%<0.01%
Feb 202669.9%21.7%6.7%0.84%0.76%0.14%0.01%
Mar 202669.1%21.1%8.2%0.89%0.65%0.12%<0.01%
Apr 202667%24.9%6.5%0.76%0.69%0.11%<0.01%
May 202668.4%21.6%8.1%0.94%0.77%0.14%<0.01%
Jun 202661%28.1%8.8%0.97%0.94%0.16%<0.01%
Jul 202661.9%28.9%7.3%0.86%0.86%0.16%<0.01%
Aug 202662.3%22.6%13.1%1%0.74%0.16%<0.01%
Sep 202669.4%20.7%8%1.1%0.75%0.11%0.01%

How has the Cotton On and Hard Yakka comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

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

1 change
  1. In September 2026, Cotton On gained share of searches among cargo pants brands in New Zealand, from 62.3% to 69.4%.

How are branded searches counted?

16 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cotton On’s and Hard Yakka’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Cotton On

10 branded search terms

  • cotton on
  • cotton on activewear
  • cotton on body
  • cotton on jeans
  • cotton on mega
  • cotton on outlets
  • cotton on shoes
  • cotton on shorts
  • cotton on tops
  • cottonon

Hard Yakka

6 branded search terms

  • hard yakka boots
  • hard yakka clothing
  • hard yakka overalls
  • hard yakka pants
  • hard yakka shirts
  • hardyakka

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among cargo pants brands

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

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