Brandwave

The Iconic vs Trade Me:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Trade Me had more branded searches than The Iconic among online retailers and marketplaces in New Zealand. Trade Me had about 1.5 million branded searches, while The Iconic had 27,900. Trade Me made up 34.4% of all online retailers and marketplace searches we track, and The Iconic accounted for 0.64%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about online retailers and marketplaces, The Iconic and Trade Me each appeared in four of the five answers. Trade Me was mentioned before The Iconic in four out of five answers.

Among online retailers and marketplaces in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Trade Me, about 54 searches for every 1 for The Iconic

Trade Me 1.5M searchesThe Iconic 27.9K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 4 of 5 answers.

The Iconic in 4 of 5Trade Me in 4 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Trade Me, named ahead of The Iconic in 4 of 5 answers

Trade Me first in 4The Iconic first in 1

Follow The Iconic vs Trade Me 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 online retailers and marketplaces in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, The Iconic was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Trade Me was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Trade Me was listed before The Iconic in four out of five answers.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. The Warehouse1st
  2. Trade Me2nd
  3. Kmart NZ3rd
  4. Noel Leeming4th
  5. Mighty Ape4th
  6. Onceit6th
  7. The Iconic7th
  8. Postie8th
  9. Amazon9th
  10. Temu–
  11. +4 more

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Trade Me4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Kmart NZ4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • The Warehouse4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • The Iconic4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Noel Leeming3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Amazon2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Mighty Ape2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Postie2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Onceit2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Temu0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

+4 more

See every answer about online retailers and marketplaces

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 19, 2026.

Is The Iconic or Trade Me more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for The Iconic and Trade Me by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 14 online retailers and marketplaces we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

The Iconic and Trade Me among online retailers and marketplaces in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Trade Me, The Iconic. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthTrade MeKmart NZThe WarehouseTemuNoel LeemingSheinAmazonAliExpressMighty ApeeBayPostieOnceitThe IconicKogan
Oct 202536.3%23.8%7.4%7.4%6.5%4.9%3.3%2.7%2.7%1.8%1.8%0.8%0.45%0.21%
Nov 202532.8%25.6%8.2%6.6%8.7%3.7%3%2.4%3.7%1.3%2%1.1%0.61%0.41%
Dec 202528.7%28.8%10.7%4.8%9.4%3.2%2.6%2.1%4.8%1.4%2.1%0.77%0.44%0.29%
Jan 202636.8%24.5%9.2%6.1%6.6%3.4%3.3%2.7%2.8%1.8%1.5%0.66%0.38%0.21%
Feb 202635.8%24.2%8.9%7.2%6.5%4%3.2%2.6%2.7%1.8%1.8%0.65%0.44%0.2%
Mar 202638.4%24.3%7.8%6.3%5.7%4.3%2.8%2.8%2.4%1.9%1.9%0.69%0.48%0.22%
Apr 202633%27.5%8.2%6.6%6%4.5%3%3%2.5%2%2.4%0.72%0.5%0.19%
May 202639.1%22.5%7.9%6.5%5.8%4.3%2.9%2.9%2.4%1.9%2.3%0.7%0.49%0.19%
Jun 202634.6%24.9%7%7%6.3%5.7%3.1%3.1%2.6%2.1%2.1%0.76%0.52%0.21%
Jul 202635.3%25.7%7.2%5.8%6.4%4.8%3.2%3.2%2.7%2.1%2.1%0.95%0.44%0.22%
Aug 202639.2%23.2%6.5%6.5%5.8%5.3%2.9%2.9%2.4%1.9%1.9%0.86%0.49%0.24%
Sep 202634.4%25%7%6.9%6.2%5.7%3.1%3.1%2.6%2.1%2.1%0.93%0.64%0.25%

How has the The Iconic and Trade Me comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for New Zealand online retailers and marketplaces in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Trade Me lost share of searches among online retailers and marketplaces in New Zealand, from 39.2% to 34.4%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for The Iconic in New Zealand rose 21.3% over 12 measured months, from 23K to 27.9K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

12 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using The Iconic’s and Trade Me’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.

The Iconic

5 branded search terms

  • the iconic
  • the iconic aus
  • the iconic delivery
  • the iconic voucher
  • theiconic

Trade Me

7 branded search terms

  • Trade Me
  • trade me auction
  • trade me auctions
  • trade me listings
  • trade me marketplace
  • trade me search
  • trademe

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among online retailers and marketplaces

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