Brandwave

Paper Plus vs Whitcoulls:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Whitcoulls had more branded searches than Paper Plus among gift and stationery stores in New Zealand. Whitcoulls had about 72,500 branded searches, while Paper Plus had 54,800. Whitcoulls made up 49% of all gift and stationery store searches we track, and Paper Plus accounted for 37%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about gift and stationery stores, Whitcoulls appeared in all three answers and Paper Plus in none.

Among gift and stationery stores in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Whitcoulls, about 32% more searches than Paper Plus

Whitcoulls 72.5K searchesPaper Plus 54.8K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Whitcoulls, mentioned in every answer we collected

Whitcoulls in 3 of 3Paper Plus in 0 of 3

Who does AI recommend more?

Whitcoulls, the only one of the two named

Whitcoulls first in 3Paper Plus never named

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Top gift and stationery stores in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, Whitcoulls appeared in all three answers. 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. Whitcoulls1st
  2. Passion for Paper1st
  3. Typo3rd
  4. Smiggle4th
  5. Paper Plus–
  6. kikki.K–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Whitcoulls3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Passion for Paper2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Typo2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Smiggle1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Paper Plus0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • kikki.K0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers

See every answer about gift and stationery stores

3 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which gift and stationery store should I shop at in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Passion for Paper
    2. 2Whitcoulls
    3. 3Typo

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best gift and stationery stores in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Passion for Paper
    2. 2Typo
    3. 3Whitcoulls

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best gift and stationery store in New Zealand for school supplies?”

    1. 1Whitcoulls
    2. 2Smiggle

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “stationery stores nz”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “gift and stationery shops”

    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.

Is Paper Plus or Whitcoulls more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Paper Plus and Whitcoulls by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six gift and stationery stores we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Paper Plus and Whitcoulls among gift and stationery stores in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Whitcoulls, Paper Plus. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthWhitcoullsPaper PlusSmigglekikki.KPassion for PaperTypo
Oct 202552.6%34.4%11.3%0.87%0.45%0.29%
Nov 202550.2%32.6%15.6%0.99%0.43%0.27%
Dec 202554.1%35.1%9.5%0.7%0.35%0.24%
Jan 202642.9%40.5%14.3%0.98%0.43%0.89%
Feb 202649.7%38%10.7%0.72%0.49%0.38%
Mar 202649.7%38.3%10.7%0.66%0.51%0.25%
Apr 202653.2%34.2%11.2%0.7%0.54%0.21%
May 202653.4%33.8%11.3%0.7%0.53%0.27%
Jun 202653%34.1%11.5%0.59%0.54%0.26%
Jul 202651.6%33.5%13.4%0.69%0.53%0.25%
Aug 202651.6%33%13.6%0.82%0.64%0.35%
Sep 202649%37%12.4%0.72%0.59%0.26%

How has the Paper Plus and Whitcoulls comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for New Zealand gift and stationery stores in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Paper Plus gained share of searches among gift and stationery stores in New Zealand, from 33% to 37%.

  2. In September 2026, Whitcoulls lost share of searches among gift and stationery stores in New Zealand, from 51.6% to 49%.

How are branded searches counted?

35 search terms

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

Paper Plus

17 branded search terms

  • barrington paper plus
  • Paper Plus
  • 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 westcity
  • paperplus cambridge
  • paperplus gifts
  • paperplus gore
  • paperplus notebooks

Whitcoulls

18 branded search terms

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

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among gift and stationery stores

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

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