Brandwave

Dolce Gusto vs Starbucks:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Starbucks had more branded searches than Dolce Gusto among coffee pod brands in New Zealand. Starbucks had about 46,600 branded searches, while Dolce Gusto had 420. Starbucks made up 70.9% of all coffee pod brand searches we track, and Dolce Gusto accounted for 0.64%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about coffee pod brands, Dolce Gusto appeared in all three answers and Starbucks in none.

Among coffee pod brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Starbucks, about 111 searches for every 1 for Dolce Gusto

Starbucks 46.6K searchesDolce Gusto 420 searches

Who does AI mention more?

Dolce Gusto, mentioned in every answer we collected

Dolce Gusto in 3 of 3Starbucks in 0 of 3

Who does AI recommend more?

Dolce Gusto, the only one of the two named

Dolce Gusto first in 3Starbucks never named

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Top coffee pod brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, Dolce Gusto appeared in all three answers. Starbucks 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. L'OR1st
  2. Nespresso2nd
  3. Dolce Gusto3rd
  4. Starbucks–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Nespresso3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • L'OR3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Dolce Gusto3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Starbucks0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers

See every answer about coffee pod brands

3 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which coffee pod brand should I buy in New Zealand?”

    1. 1L'OR
    2. 2Nespresso
    3. 3Dolce Gusto

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best coffee pod brands in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Nespresso
    2. 2L'OR
    3. 3Dolce Gusto

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best coffee pod brand in New Zealand for quick morning coffee?”

    1. 1L'OR
    2. 2Nespresso
    3. 3Dolce Gusto

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “coffee pods nz”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “coffee capsules nz”

    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 Dolce Gusto or Starbucks more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Dolce Gusto and Starbucks by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all four coffee pod brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Dolce Gusto and Starbucks among coffee pod brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Starbucks, Dolce Gusto. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthStarbucksNespressoL'ORDolce Gusto
Oct 202568.5%30.2%0.55%0.77%
Nov 202570%28.8%0.51%0.65%
Dec 202568.2%30.7%0.4%0.76%
Jan 202671.2%27.7%0.53%0.57%
Feb 202675%24.1%0.45%0.49%
Mar 202674.6%24.3%0.54%0.56%
Apr 202669.5%29.3%0.53%0.67%
May 202663.1%35.5%0.74%0.68%
Jun 202666.5%32.1%0.66%0.73%
Jul 202666.1%32.4%0.79%0.74%
Aug 202671.3%27.5%0.58%0.61%
Sep 202670.9%27.8%0.67%0.64%

How has the Dolce Gusto and Starbucks comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for New Zealand coffee pod brands in September 2026?

1 change

  1. In September 2026, Dolce Gusto fell from 3rd to 4th among coffee pod brands in New Zealand.

How are branded searches counted?

15 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Dolce Gusto’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.

Dolce Gusto

3 branded search terms

  • dolce gusto
  • dolce gusto cleaning
  • dolcegusto

Starbucks

12 branded search terms

  • starbucks
  • starbucks company
  • starbucks cups
  • starbucks drinks
  • starbucks gift card
  • starbucks matcha
  • starbucks nespresso pods
  • starbucks pods
  • starbucks pumpkin spice
  • starbucks tumbler
  • starbucks unicorn frappuccino
  • starbucks westgate

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among coffee pod brands

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