---
title: "Community pharmacy brands in New Zealand: Share of Search"
description: "Share of Search among Chemist Warehouse, Bargain Chemist, Unichem, Life Pharmacy and Woolworths Pharmacy, the community pharmacy brands Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-pharmacy-retailers"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Community pharmacy brands in New Zealand: Share of Search

Share of Search among Chemist Warehouse, Bargain Chemist, Unichem, Life Pharmacy and Woolworths Pharmacy, the community pharmacy brands Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Community Pharmacy Brands
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Brands compared**: 5
- **Month measured**: Aug 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Chemist Warehouse, 80.6%

## Which brand has the highest Share of Search among community pharmacy brands in New Zealand?

- Chemist Warehouse holds the highest estimated Share of Search among community pharmacy brands in New Zealand, at 80.6% in August 2026.
- Bargain Chemist is in 2nd place, 70.2 percentage points behind at 10.4% Share of Search.
- Across the 12 months ending August 2026, Chemist Warehouse’s estimated Share of Search among community pharmacy brands in New Zealand decreased from 84.4% to 80.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending August 2026, Bargain Chemist’s estimated Share of Search among community pharmacy brands in New Zealand increased from 7.9% to 10.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending August 2026, Unichem’s estimated Share of Search among community pharmacy brands in New Zealand increased from 4.1% to 5.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending August 2026, Chemist Warehouse’s estimated Share of Search among community pharmacy brands in New Zealand peaked at 85.8% in November 2025 and was lowest at 80.6% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending August 2026, Bargain Chemist’s estimated Share of Search among community pharmacy brands in New Zealand peaked at 10.4% in August 2026 and was lowest at 6.8% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending August 2026, Unichem’s estimated Share of Search among community pharmacy brands in New Zealand peaked at 5.7% in April 2026 and was lowest at 3.7% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending August 2026, Life Pharmacy and Woolworths Pharmacy held steady: their estimated Share of Search among community pharmacy brands in New Zealand each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## What changed among community pharmacy brands in New Zealand?

- In August 2026, Bargain Chemist gained estimated Share of Search among community pharmacy brands in New Zealand, from 8.8% to 10.4%.
- In August 2026, Chemist Warehouse lost estimated Share of Search among community pharmacy brands in New Zealand, from 81.9% to 80.6%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Unichem in New Zealand rose 16.6% over 12 measured months, from 41K to 47.8K in August 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Chemist Warehouse | 80.6% | 759K | +2.3% | CHEMIST WAREHOUSE LIMITED |
| 2 | Bargain Chemist | 10.4% | 98K | +22.5% | BARGAIN CHEMIST LIMITED |
| 3 | Unichem | 5.1% | 47.8K | +0.2% | GREEN CROSS HEALTH LIMITED |
| 4 | Life Pharmacy | 3.3% | 31.3K | 0.0% | GREEN CROSS HEALTH LIMITED |
| 5 | Woolworths Pharmacy | 0.57% | 5.4K | +15.4% | Woolworths New Zealand |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sep 2025 | Chemist Warehouse | 845K | 84.4% | 1 |
| Sep 2025 | Bargain Chemist | 79.1K | 7.9% | 2 |
| Sep 2025 | Unichem | 41K | 4.1% | 3 |
| Sep 2025 | Life Pharmacy | 30.8K | 3.1% | 4 |
| Sep 2025 | Woolworths Pharmacy | 5.5K | 0.55% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Chemist Warehouse | 845K | 84.2% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Bargain Chemist | 80.1K | 8% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Unichem | 41K | 4.1% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Life Pharmacy | 31.5K | 3.1% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Woolworths Pharmacy | 6.2K | 0.62% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Chemist Warehouse | 1M | 85.8% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Bargain Chemist | 80.3K | 6.8% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Unichem | 44.3K | 3.7% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Life Pharmacy | 38K | 3.2% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Woolworths Pharmacy | 5.5K | 0.46% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Chemist Warehouse | 885K | 83.5% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Bargain Chemist | 80.3K | 7.6% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Unichem | 50K | 4.7% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Life Pharmacy | 38.7K | 3.7% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Woolworths Pharmacy | 5.8K | 0.54% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Chemist Warehouse | 741K | 82.4% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Bargain Chemist | 80.1K | 8.9% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Unichem | 41.7K | 4.6% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Life Pharmacy | 31.3K | 3.5% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Woolworths Pharmacy | 5.7K | 0.63% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Chemist Warehouse | 721K | 83.4% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Bargain Chemist | 65.4K | 7.6% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Unichem | 41.7K | 4.8% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Life Pharmacy | 31.4K | 3.6% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Woolworths Pharmacy | 5.4K | 0.62% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Chemist Warehouse | 759K | 81.8% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Bargain Chemist | 80K | 8.6% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Unichem | 51.5K | 5.5% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Life Pharmacy | 31.4K | 3.4% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Woolworths Pharmacy | 5.7K | 0.61% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Chemist Warehouse | 759K | 81.8% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Bargain Chemist | 79.1K | 8.5% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Unichem | 53K | 5.7% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Life Pharmacy | 32.3K | 3.5% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Woolworths Pharmacy | 4.7K | 0.5% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Chemist Warehouse | 759K | 82.2% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Bargain Chemist | 80.1K | 8.7% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Unichem | 48.2K | 5.2% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Life Pharmacy | 31.4K | 3.4% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Woolworths Pharmacy | 4.7K | 0.51% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Chemist Warehouse | 741K | 84.3% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Bargain Chemist | 66.5K | 7.6% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Unichem | 40.2K | 4.6% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Life Pharmacy | 26.3K | 3% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Woolworths Pharmacy | 4.7K | 0.53% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Chemist Warehouse | 742K | 81.9% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Bargain Chemist | 80K | 8.8% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Unichem | 47.7K | 5.3% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Life Pharmacy | 31.3K | 3.5% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Woolworths Pharmacy | 4.7K | 0.52% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Chemist Warehouse | 759K | 80.6% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Bargain Chemist | 98K | 10.4% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Unichem | 47.8K | 5.1% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Life Pharmacy | 31.3K | 3.3% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Woolworths Pharmacy | 5.4K | 0.57% | 5 |

## Compare two brands head-to-head

- [Chemist Warehouse vs Bargain Chemist](/demand/nz/compare/bargain-chemist-vs-chemist-warehouse-nz): 80.6% against 10.4% Share of Search.
- [Chemist Warehouse vs Unichem](/demand/nz/compare/chemist-warehouse-nz-vs-unichem): 80.6% against 5.1% Share of Search.
- [Chemist Warehouse vs Life Pharmacy](/demand/nz/compare/chemist-warehouse-nz-vs-life-pharmacy): 80.6% against 3.3% Share of Search.
- [Bargain Chemist vs Unichem](/demand/nz/compare/bargain-chemist-vs-unichem): 10.4% against 5.1% Share of Search.
- [Bargain Chemist vs Life Pharmacy](/demand/nz/compare/bargain-chemist-vs-life-pharmacy): 10.4% against 3.3% Share of Search.
- [Unichem vs Life Pharmacy](/demand/nz/compare/life-pharmacy-vs-unichem): 5.1% against 3.3% Share of Search.

## What is being compared

- **Bargain Chemist**: Measured on the search terms “Bargain Chemist”, “bargain chemist delivery”, “bargain chemist near me”, “bargain chemist online”, “bargain chemist perfume”, “bargain chemist pharmacy”, “bargain chemist prescriptions” and “bargain chemist vaccinations”, summed into one figure.
- **Chemist Warehouse**: Measured on the search terms “Chemist Warehouse”, “chemist warehouse beauty”, “chemist warehouse delivery”, “chemist warehouse fragrance”, “chemist warehouse makeup”, “chemist warehouse near me”, “chemist warehouse nz”, “chemist warehouse online”, “chemist warehouse perfume”, “chemist warehouse pharmacy”, “chemist warehouse prescriptions”, “chemist warehouse skincare”, “chemist warehouse supplements”, “chemist warehouse vaccinations” and “chemist warehouse vitamins”, summed into one figure.
- **Life Pharmacy**: Measured on the search terms “Life Pharmacy”, “life pharmacy beauty”, “life pharmacy chemist”, “life pharmacy delivery”, “life pharmacy fragrance”, “life pharmacy makeup”, “life pharmacy near me”, “life pharmacy online”, “life pharmacy perfume”, “life pharmacy skincare”, “life pharmacy supplements”, “life pharmacy vaccinations” and “life pharmacy vitamins”, summed into one figure.
- **Unichem**: Measured on the search terms “unichem”, “unichem flu vaccination”, “unichem near me”, “unichem nz”, “unichem online”, “unichem online pharmacy”, “unichem pharmacy” and “unichem vaccinations”, summed into one figure.
- **Woolworths Pharmacy**: Measured on the search terms “countdown chemist”, “countdown pharmacy”, “woolworths pharmacy”, “woolworths pharmacy near me” and “woolworths pharmacy nz”, summed into one figure.

- [Bargain Chemist](/demand/nz/brands/bargain-chemist)
- [Chemist Warehouse](/demand/nz/brands/chemist-warehouse-nz)
- [Life Pharmacy](/demand/nz/brands/life-pharmacy)
- [Unichem](/demand/nz/brands/unichem)
- [Woolworths Pharmacy](/demand/nz/brands/woolworths-pharmacy-nz)

## How is branded search demand measured?

### Where do these numbers come from?

Brandwave organizes categories, branded terms, and competitor groups using publicly available information about companies and brands. We obtain third-party modeled search-volume estimates from external search-data providers, then store and keep them up to date. Our Brand Demand Index shares this curated information with everyone for free. The figures cover the 12 months ending Aug 2026.

### What do geography and language mean?

Brandwave tracks brand demand worldwide and by individual country because brands compete in different ways. For instance, global brands such as SaaS companies are compared worldwide, while retailers and local businesses are usually compared within their own country.

Brands in the same competitor group are always measured using the same geographic area. This ensures that global demand is not compared with demand from only one country.

Brandwave currently tracks branded terms in English. Global indexes include searches for these terms from every country, even if English is not the main language there. In this context, language refers to the terms being measured, not the language spoken by the people searching.

Global and country estimates may overlap, so do not add them together.

### What exactly is being compared?

We estimate branded-search demand in New Zealand for Bargain Chemist, Chemist Warehouse, Life Pharmacy, Unichem and Woolworths Pharmacy using modeled search-volume estimates for each brand’s name or related terms. This approach has limitations, but it provides a directional view of relative branded-search interest and how it changes over time.

### Is Share of Search the same as market share?

No, Share of Search compares a brand’s estimated search volume with the estimated search volume of other brands in the same group. It measures searches for branded terms, not purchases, so it is not the same as market share, revenue share, or customer share. A brand might have a high Share of Search but still sell less than a competitor, and brands that people buy out of habit might be searched for less than brands people are still considering. Branded-search demand can provide an early signal that interest in a brand is changing. Watching for sustained shifts can help you spot trends sooner, but the metric does not establish what will happen to revenue.

### How reliable are modeled search volumes?

These numbers are estimates and should be seen as a general trend, not an exact count. The figures show rounded monthly search volumes, and a single month’s result might change for reasons unrelated to the brand. Smaller brands are rounded more roughly than larger ones. Search volume estimates searches, not unique people. The real value of these figures is in comparison: every brand in the group is measured the same way, in the same market, and in the same month. This means the differences between brands, and how those differences change over time, are more meaningful than any single number.

### Does a rise in branded searches mean a campaign worked?

Not always. It depends on what your campaign was meant to do. Our public marketing data shows when branded search demand changes, but it doesn’t tell you why. Branded search volume can rise or fall for many reasons. For example, a competitor’s campaign, a news story, a price change, the season, or more people shopping in your category can all play a part. Checking the timing of these changes can give you useful clues, so it helps to see what else was happening at the same time. Brandwave lets you track all your marketing activity and branded search volume together on one timeline, making this much easier.

### Can I use the Brand Demand Index data?

Yes. Anyone may use, share, adapt, and redistribute data published in the Brandwave Brand Demand Index, including for commercial purposes, under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0). Give appropriate credit to Brandwave, link to the source page and https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, and indicate if you made changes. This permission covers Brandwave’s published compilation and measurements; it does not grant rights to third-party trademarks or logos. Automated access must use the public pages or API and respect published rate limits.

### Does appearing here mean a company uses Brandwave?

Not necessarily. Brandwave maintains these brand profiles using publicly available information and data sources. Brandwave never exposes private customer data publicly.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Community pharmacy brands in New Zealand: Share of Search". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-pharmacy-retailers

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