Brandwave

Lee vs Neuw:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Neuw had more branded searches than Lee among denim brands in New Zealand. Neuw had about 1,230 branded searches, while Lee had 320. Neuw made up 9% of all denim brand searches we track, and Lee accounted for 2.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about denim brands, Neuw appeared in four of the five answers and Lee in three. Neuw was mentioned before Lee in three out of four answers.

Among denim brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Neuw, about 4 searches for every 1 for Lee

Neuw 1.2K searchesLee 320 searches

Who does AI mention more?

Neuw, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Lee in 3

Neuw in 4 of 5Lee in 3 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Neuw, named ahead of Lee in 3 of 4 answers

Neuw first in 3Lee first in 1

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Top denim brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Neuw was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Lee was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Neuw was listed before Lee in three out of four answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Levi's1st
  2. Neuw2nd
  3. Lee3rd
  4. Nudie Jeans4th
  5. Glassons5th
  6. Wrangler6th
  7. Ksubi7th
  8. Abrand–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Levi's4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Neuw4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Wrangler3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Lee3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Glassons2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Nudie Jeans2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Ksubi1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Abrand0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about denim brands

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

Is Lee or Neuw more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Lee and Neuw by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight denim brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Lee and Neuw among denim brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Neuw, Lee. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthLevi'sAbrandGlassonsKsubiNudie JeansNeuwWranglerLee
Oct 202538.4%19%8.4%8.4%10.9%6.8%4.8%3.3%
Nov 202537%20.6%7.1%10.5%10.5%6.4%4.6%3.2%
Dec 202534.4%21.8%6.8%12.2%12.2%5.7%4.5%2.4%
Jan 202632.8%20.4%8%11.9%11.9%6.3%5.8%2.9%
Feb 202635%20.3%8.4%9.6%9.6%8%5.4%3.7%
Mar 202634.1%19.5%11%11%9%8.8%3.8%2.7%
Apr 202630.2%22.6%10.6%8.6%10.6%9.5%5.4%2.6%
May 202631.6%19.1%9.9%8%11.7%8.8%7.9%3%
Jun 202636.4%18.9%9.8%7.9%11.6%6.8%5.6%2.9%
Jul 202629.3%21.6%10.2%8.3%12.1%8.3%7.1%3.1%
Aug 202642.2%18.2%8.6%7%8.6%6.6%6.4%2.6%
Sep 202633.9%21.2%9.5%9.5%9.5%9%5.1%2.3%

How has the Lee and Neuw comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Neuw was ahead of Lee in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lee’s share of searches among denim brands in New Zealand moved from 3.3% to 2.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 390 to 320.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Neuw’s share of searches among denim brands in New Zealand moved from 6.8% to 9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 810 to 1.2K.

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

2 changes
  1. In September 2026, Neuw gained share of searches among denim brands in New Zealand, from 6.6% to 9%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Lee in New Zealand fell 17.9% over 12 measured months, from 390 to 320 in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

4 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Lee’s and Neuw’s 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.

Lee

1 branded search term

  • lee jeans

Neuw

3 branded search terms

  • neuw
  • neuw denim
  • neuw jeans

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among denim brands

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