Brandwave

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%.

Share of Search among coffee chains in New Zealand in August 2026Which is more popular in search, Columbus Coffee or Starbucks?
Columbus Coffee23.2%30.8K searches
vs
Starbucks53.8%71.3K searches

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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.

Columbus Coffee and Starbucks among coffee chains in New Zealand, by month

Share of Search by month for Starbucks, Columbus Coffee. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthStarbucksColumbus CoffeeThe Coffee ClubMuffin BreakRobert HarrisMojo CoffeeEsquires
Oct 202550.7%23.6%17%5%1.5%1.1%1.1%
Nov 202556.1%21.1%15.4%4.5%1.3%0.89%0.73%
Dec 202551.8%23.8%17.1%4.3%1.5%0.79%0.74%
Jan 202652.7%24.6%15.9%3.6%1.6%0.81%0.77%
Feb 202653%26.2%14%3.9%1.4%0.92%0.68%
Mar 202654.4%24.9%13.2%4.4%1.4%1%0.68%
Apr 202651.7%23.2%16.7%4.9%1.7%1%0.73%
May 202648.2%25.3%17.4%5.4%1.8%0.99%0.86%
Jun 202649.6%25.8%16.4%4.6%1.8%0.86%0.9%
Jul 202648.4%25.2%17.5%5.5%1.8%0.86%0.78%
Aug 202653.8%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?

  • 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?

  1. In August 2026, Starbucks gained estimated Share of Search among coffee chains in New Zealand, from 48.4% to 53.8%.

  2. 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

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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