--- title: "Slow Boat Records vs Southbound Records: Which is more popular in New Zealand?" description: "Is Slow Boat Records or Southbound Records more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Record stores set in New Zealand. 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." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/slow-boat-records-vs-southbound-records" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Slow Boat Records vs Southbound Records: Which is more popular in New Zealand? Is Slow Boat Records or Southbound Records more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Record stores set in New Zealand. 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. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Slow Boat Records and Southbound Records - **Competitive set**: Record stores - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Oct 2026 - **Slow Boat Records Share of Search**: 2.6% - **Southbound Records Share of Search**: 7.6% ## Is Slow Boat Records or Southbound Records more popular in search? - In October 2026, Southbound Records had more branded searches than Slow Boat Records among record stores in New Zealand. Southbound Records had about 2,900 branded searches, while Slow Boat Records had 1,000. Southbound Records made up 7.6% of all record store searches we track, and Slow Boat Records accounted for 2.6%. - Southbound Records was ahead of Slow Boat Records in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Slow Boat Records’ share of searches among record stores in New Zealand moved from 3.1% to 2.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.3K to 1K. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Southbound Records’ share of searches among record stores in New Zealand moved from 6.8% to 7.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 2.9K. ## Top record stores in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Slow Boat Records appeared in all four answers. Southbound Records was mentioned in three out of four: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Slow Boat Records was listed before Southbound Records in two out of three answers. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Real Groovy | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | Slow Boat Records | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | Flying Out | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Southbound Records | 4th | 3 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | Pennylane Records | 5th | 3 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | Marbecks | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | ## Every AI answer about record stores - Asked ChatGPT "Which record store should I shop at in New Zealand?": 1. Real Groovy, 2. Flying Out, 3. Southbound Records, 4. Slow Boat Records, 5. Pennylane Records - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best record stores in New Zealand?": 1. Real Groovy, 2. Flying Out, 3. Slow Boat Records, 4. Pennylane Records, 5. Southbound Records - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best record store in New Zealand for vinyl records?": 1. Real Groovy, 2. Slow Boat Records, 3. Southbound Records, 4. Pennylane Records - Searched Google, AI Overview "vinyl records nz": 1. Slow Boat Records, 2. Real Groovy Not named in any answer: Marbecks. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand record stores in October 2026? - In October 2026, Southbound Records lost share of searches among record stores in New Zealand, from 9.3% to 7.6%. - In October 2026, Slow Boat Records fell from 4th to 5th among record stores in New Zealand. ## How has branded search for Slow Boat Records and Southbound Records changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months? | Month | Slow Boat Records estimated searches | Slow Boat Records Share of Search | Slow Boat Records rank | Southbound Records estimated searches | Southbound Records Share of Search | Southbound Records rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Nov 2025 | 1.3K | 3.1% | 6 | 2.9K | 6.8% | 4 | | Dec 2025 | 1.9K | 3.7% | 6 | 2.9K | 5.7% | 4 | | Jan 2026 | 1.3K | 3.5% | 5 | 2.9K | 7.9% | 4 | | Feb 2026 | 1.6K | 4.3% | 5 | 3.6K | 9.6% | 3 | | Mar 2026 | 1.3K | 3.6% | 5 | 2.9K | 8.1% | 3 | | Apr 2026 | 1.6K | 4.1% | 5 | 4.4K | 11.3% | 3 | | May 2026 | 1.3K | 3.6% | 5 | 2.9K | 8.1% | 4 | | Jun 2026 | 1K | 2.6% | 6 | 2.9K | 7.6% | 4 | | Jul 2026 | 1.3K | 3.9% | 4 | 2.9K | 8.6% | 3 | | Aug 2026 | 1K | 2.9% | 4 | 3.6K | 10.4% | 3 | | Sep 2026 | 1K | 2.6% | 4 | 3.6K | 9.3% | 3 | | Oct 2026 | 1K | 2.6% | 5 | 2.9K | 7.6% | 3 | ## How are Slow Boat Records’ and Southbound Records’ branded searches counted? Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Slow Boat Records’ and Southbound Records’ 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. - **Slow Boat Records**: Measured on the search term “slow boat records”. - **Southbound Records**: Measured on the search terms “southbound records” and “southboundrecords”, summed into one figure. - [Slow Boat Records profile](/demand/nz/brands/slow-boat-records) - [Southbound Records profile](/demand/nz/brands/southbound-records) - [All record stores in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-record-stores): The set both shares are measured inside, 6 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Slow Boat Records or Southbound Records more popular in search? In October 2026, Southbound Records had more branded searches than Slow Boat Records among record stores in New Zealand. Southbound Records had about 2,900 branded searches, while Slow Boat Records had 1,000. Southbound Records made up 7.6% of all record store searches we track, and Slow Boat Records accounted for 2.6%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Slow Boat Records vs Southbound Records: Which is more popular in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/slow-boat-records-vs-southbound-records This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/slow-boat-records-vs-southbound-records. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.