Columbus Coffee vs Starbucks:Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?
In August 2026, Starbucks had more branded searches than Columbus Coffee among coffee chains in New Zealand. Starbucks was estimated to have 71.3K branded searches compared to Columbus Coffee’s 30.8K, and held a 53.8% Share of Search versus Columbus Coffee’s 23.2%.
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Which is more popular in search, Columbus Coffee or Starbucks?
Compare the café chains New Zealanders visit for coffee and a bite to eat. 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.
Share of Search by month for Starbucks, Columbus Coffee. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Starbucks | Columbus Coffee | The Coffee Club | Muffin Break | Robert Harris | Mojo Coffee | Esquires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 50.7% | 23.6% | 17% | 5% | 1.5% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 56.1% | 21.1% | 15.4% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 0.89% | 0.73% |
| Dec 2025 | 51.8% | 23.8% | 17.1% | 4.3% | 1.5% | 0.79% | 0.74% |
| Jan 2026 | 52.7% | 24.6% | 15.9% | 3.6% | 1.6% | 0.81% | 0.77% |
| Feb 2026 | 53% | 26.2% | 14% | 3.9% | 1.4% | 0.92% | 0.68% |
| Mar 2026 | 54.4% | 24.9% | 13.2% | 4.4% | 1.4% | 1% | 0.68% |
| Apr 2026 | 51.7% | 23.2% | 16.7% | 4.9% | 1.7% | 1% | 0.73% |
| May 2026 | 48.2% | 25.3% | 17.4% | 5.4% | 1.8% | 0.99% | 0.86% |
| Jun 2026 | 49.6% | 25.8% | 16.4% | 4.6% | 1.8% | 0.86% | 0.9% |
| Jul 2026 | 48.4% | 25.2% | 17.5% | 5.5% | 1.8% | 0.86% | 0.78% |
| Aug 2026 | 53.8% | 23.2% | 14.6% | 4.9% | 1.8% | 0.89% | 0.77% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Columbus Coffee and Starbucks comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Starbucks was ahead of Columbus Coffee in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Columbus Coffee’s estimated Share of Search among coffee chains in New Zealand moved from 23.6% to 23.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 30.6K to 30.8K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Starbucks’ estimated Share of Search among coffee chains in New Zealand moved from 50.7% to 53.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 65.9K to 71.3K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand coffee chains in August 2026?
2 changes

In August 2026, Starbucks gained estimated Share of Search among coffee chains in New Zealand, from 48.4% to 53.8%.
In August 2026, Columbus Coffee lost estimated Share of Search among coffee chains in New Zealand, from 25.2% to 23.2%.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Columbus Coffee’s and Starbucks’ 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.
Columbus Coffee
17 branded search terms
- columbus cafe
- columbus cafe botany
- columbus cafe menu
- columbus cafe near me
- columbus coffee
- columbus coffee beans
- columbus coffee botany
- columbus coffee cafe
- columbus coffee menu
- columbus coffee near me
- columbus coffee nz
- columbus coffee online
- columbus coffee rosebank road
- columbus coffee sylvia park
- columbus coffee william pickering
- columbuscoffee
- columbuscoffee co nz
Starbucks
19 branded search terms
- starbucks
- starbucks cafe
- starbucks co nz
- starbucks company
- starbucks cups
- starbucks drinks
- starbucks gift card
- starbucks matcha
- starbucks menu
- starbucks near me
- starbucks nespresso pods
- starbucks nz
- starbucks online
- starbucks online ordering
- starbucks pods
- starbucks pumpkin spice
- starbucks tumbler
- starbucks unicorn frappuccino
- starbucks westgate

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