Brandwave

Stance vs The Wool Company:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, The Wool Company had more branded searches than Stance among sock brands in New Zealand. The Wool Company had about 1,300 branded searches, while Stance had 390. The Wool Company made up 15% of all sock brand searches we track, and Stance accounted for 4.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about sock brands, The Wool Company appeared in two of the five answers and Stance in none.

Among sock brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

The Wool Company, about 3 searches for every 1 for Stance

The Wool Company 1.3K searchesStance 390 searches

Who does AI mention more?

The Wool Company, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Stance in 0

The Wool Company in 2 of 5Stance in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

The Wool Company, the only one of the two named

The Wool Company first in 2Stance never named

Follow Stance vs The Wool Company and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Track your brand against a rival →

Top sock brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, The Wool Company was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Stance did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Norsewear1st
  2. Icebreaker2nd
  3. NZ Sock Company3rd
  4. The Wool Company4th
  5. Darn Tough5th
  6. Norsewood6th
  7. Smartwool7th
  8. Stance–
  9. Happy Socks–
  10. Thorlo–
  11. +1 more

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Norsewear5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Icebreaker3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • NZ Sock Company2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • The Wool Company2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Norsewood1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Smartwool1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Darn Tough1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Stance0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Happy Socks0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Thorlo0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

+1 more

See every answer about sock 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 Stance or The Wool Company more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Stance and The Wool Company by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 sock brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Stance and The Wool Company among sock brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for The Wool Company, Stance. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthNorsewearNorsewoodNZ Sock CompanyThe Wool CompanySmartwoolDarn ToughStanceIcebreakerHappy SocksThorloLorpen
Oct 202513.6%27.8%13%13.6%8.5%5.9%6.5%3.5%4.5%2.9%0.14%
Nov 202542.9%20.9%9%6.5%5.3%3.4%4.7%1.7%3.2%2.1%0.2%
Dec 202515.3%23.6%13.1%11.7%9.5%6.2%8.5%3.1%5.8%3.1%0.23%
Jan 202615.3%29.6%11.7%15.3%9.1%6.3%3.8%3.8%2.1%2.5%0.47%
Feb 202612.5%37.3%11.7%12.5%8.2%6.2%4%3.2%2.2%1.7%0.37%
Mar 202614%27.4%12.8%17.2%8%7.3%4.2%4.2%2.4%2.3%0.22%
Apr 202621.2%22.7%10.5%21.2%6.9%6.2%3.4%4.2%1.6%1.9%0.18%
May 202619.8%18.1%11.7%30%7.1%4.2%2.7%3.3%1.5%1.4%0.2%
Jun 202621.6%15.7%10.1%26.8%8%6.4%4.4%3.6%1.6%1.6%0.22%
Jul 202622%16%10.5%27.3%8.3%5.5%3.6%3.6%1.6%1.3%0.3%
Aug 202621.2%18.3%12%21.2%10.2%5.2%3.4%4.2%2.3%1.9%0.18%
Sep 202621.9%19.7%16.4%15%8.4%5.8%4.5%3%2.5%2.4%0.23%

How has the Stance and The Wool Company comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • The Wool Company was ahead of Stance in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Stance’s share of searches among sock brands in New Zealand moved from 6.5% to 4.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 480 to 390.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Wool Company’s share of searches among sock brands in New Zealand moved from 13.6% to 15%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1K to 1.3K.

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

4 changes

  1. In September 2026, Norsewood overtook The Wool Company to rank 2nd among sock brands in New Zealand, with 19.7% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Stance overtook Icebreaker to rank 7th among sock brands in New Zealand, with 4.5% of the searches.

  3. In September 2026, NZ Sock Company overtook The Wool Company to rank 3rd among sock brands in New Zealand, with 16.4% of the searches.

  4. In September 2026, The Wool Company lost share of searches among sock brands in New Zealand, from 21.2% to 15%.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Stance’s and The Wool Company’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.

Stance

1 branded search term

  • stance socks

The Wool Company

1 branded search term

  • the wool company

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among sock brands

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Put your own brand in this comparison

Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.

Start free