Paper Plus vs Whitcoulls:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Whitcoulls had more branded searches than Paper Plus among office and stationery retailers in New Zealand. Whitcoulls had about 73,400 branded searches, while Paper Plus had 55,600. Whitcoulls made up 23.3% of all office and stationery retailer searches we track, and Paper Plus accounted for 17.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about office and stationery retailers, Whitcoulls appeared in two of the five answers and Paper Plus in one. Whitcoulls was mentioned before Paper Plus in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Whitcoulls, about 32% more searches than Paper Plus
Who does AI mention more?
Whitcoulls, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Paper Plus in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Whitcoulls, named ahead of Paper Plus in 2 of 3 answers
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Top office and stationery retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Whitcoulls was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Paper Plus was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Whitcoulls was listed before Paper Plus 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.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
OfficeMax NZ5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Warehouse Stationery3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Whitcoulls2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Paper Plus1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about office and stationery retailers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which office supplies and stationery retailer should I shop at in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best office supplies and stationery retailers in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best office supplies and stationery retailer in New Zealand for school and office supplies?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“stationery shops nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“office supplies nz”
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 four office and stationery retailers we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Whitcoulls, Paper Plus. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Warehouse Stationery | Whitcoulls | Paper Plus | OfficeMax NZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 41.3% | 25.9% | 17% | 15.9% |
| Nov 2025 | 42.6% | 26.7% | 17.5% | 13.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 35.5% | 33.6% | 21.8% | 9.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 41.4% | 18.3% | 17.2% | 23.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 46.2% | 20.6% | 15.8% | 17.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 43.2% | 22.9% | 17.7% | 16.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 45.8% | 24.4% | 15.7% | 14.1% |
| May 2026 | 44.3% | 23.9% | 15.2% | 16.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 44.6% | 23.4% | 15.2% | 16.8% |
| Jul 2026 | 46% | 24.1% | 15.8% | 14.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 44.3% | 23.7% | 15.3% | 16.7% |
| Sep 2026 | 42.9% | 23.3% | 17.7% | 16.1% |
How has the Paper Plus and Whitcoulls comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Whitcoulls was ahead of Paper Plus in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Paper Plus’ share of searches among office and stationery retailers in New Zealand moved from 17% to 17.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 55.7K to 55.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Whitcoulls’ share of searches among office and stationery retailers in New Zealand moved from 25.9% to 23.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 84.6K to 73.4K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand office and stationery retailers in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Paper Plus overtook OfficeMax NZ to rank 3rd among office and stationery retailers in New Zealand, with 17.7% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Whitcoulls in New Zealand fell 13.3% over 12 measured months, from 84.6K to 73.4K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
36 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
15 branded search terms
- barrington paper plus
- Paper Plus
- paper plus books
- paper plus coastlands
- paper plus eastridge
- paper plus havelock
- paper plus henderson
- paper plus lego
- paper plus meadowbank
- paper plus northlands
- paper plus sale
- paper plus stationery
- paper plus westcity
- paperplus cambridge
- paperplus gore
Whitcoulls
21 branded search terms
- 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
Other head-to-heads among office and stationery retailers
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