--- title: "Barter Books: search popularity in the United Kingdom" description: "A large second-hand bookshop in Alnwick, Northumberland. 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/uk/brands/barter-books" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Barter Books: search popularity in the United Kingdom A large second-hand bookshop in Alnwick, Northumberland. 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 - **Brand**: Barter Books - **Market**: United Kingdom - **Measured month**: Sep 2026 - **Share of Search among bookstores**: 6% ## Where the brand sits | Competitive set | Rank | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Bookstores | 4 | 6% | 22.2K | - [Bookstores](/demand/uk/categories/uk-bookstores) ## Top bookstores in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Barter Books was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Barter Books is the fourth most recommended of the seven. 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Daunt Books | 1st | 3 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | Waterstones | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Foyles | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | Barter Books | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Blackwell's | 5th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Topping & Company Booksellers | 6th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | WHSmith | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | ## Every AI answer about bookstores - Asked ChatGPT "Which bookstore should I shop at in the UK?": 1. Waterstones, 2. Daunt Books, 3. Blackwell's, 4. Foyles - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best bookstores in the UK?": 1. Daunt Books, 2. Barter Books, 3. Topping & Company Booksellers, 4. Blackwell's, 5. Foyles - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best bookstore in the UK for a good book selection?": 1. Waterstones, 2. Foyles, 3. Daunt Books, 4. Barter Books, 5. Topping & Company Booksellers - Searched Google, AI Overview "bookshop uk": 1. Topping & Company Booksellers Not named in any answer: WHSmith. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United Kingdom on October 19, 2026. ## How has branded search demand for Barter Books changed in the United Kingdom over the last 12 months? - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Barter Books in the United Kingdom rose from 18.1K to 22.2K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Barter Books’ share of searches among bookstores in the United Kingdom increased from 3.1% to 6%. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Barter Books’ share of searches among bookstores in the United Kingdom peaked at 8.7% in August 2026 and was lowest at 1.7% in December 2025. ## How did search popularity change for United Kingdom bookstores in September 2026? - In September 2026, WHSmith gained share of searches among bookstores in the United Kingdom, from 43.4% to 44.7%. - In September 2026, Blackwell's gained share of searches among bookstores in the United Kingdom, from 23.8% to 24.5%. - In September 2026, Daunt Books gained share of searches among bookstores in the United Kingdom, from 19.5% to 20%. - In September 2026, Waterstones gained share of searches among bookstores in the United Kingdom, from 2.1% to 2.7%. - In September 2026, Barter Books lost share of searches among bookstores in the United Kingdom, from 8.7% to 6%. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Topping & Company Booksellers in the United Kingdom rose 46.6% over 12 measured months, from 2.3K to 3.4K in September 2026. ## Historical estimated branded-search demand | Month | Competitive set | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | Bookstores | 18.1K | 3.1% | 4 | | Nov 2025 | Bookstores | 9.9K | 1.7% | 5 | | Dec 2025 | Bookstores | 9.9K | 1.7% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | Bookstores | 12.1K | 2.8% | 4 | | Feb 2026 | Bookstores | 12.1K | 3.7% | 4 | | Mar 2026 | Bookstores | 14.8K | 3.9% | 4 | | Apr 2026 | Bookstores | 22.2K | 6% | 4 | | May 2026 | Bookstores | 22.2K | 5.8% | 4 | | Jun 2026 | Bookstores | 18.1K | 5.2% | 4 | | Jul 2026 | Bookstores | 22.2K | 6% | 4 | | Aug 2026 | Bookstores | 33.1K | 8.7% | 4 | | Sep 2026 | Bookstores | 22.2K | 6% | 4 | ## How are Barter Books’ branded searches counted? Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Barter Books’ name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading. - “barter books” ## Which bookstores compete with Barter Books? - [WHSmith](/demand/uk/brands/whsmith): Head-to-head: /demand/uk/compare/barter-books-vs-whsmith - [Blackwell's](/demand/uk/brands/blackwell-s): Head-to-head: /demand/uk/compare/barter-books-vs-blackwell-s - [Daunt Books](/demand/uk/brands/daunt-books): Head-to-head: /demand/uk/compare/barter-books-vs-daunt-books - [Waterstones](/demand/uk/brands/waterstones): Head-to-head: /demand/uk/compare/barter-books-vs-waterstones - [Foyles](/demand/uk/brands/foyles): Head-to-head: /demand/uk/compare/barter-books-vs-foyles - [Topping & Company Booksellers](/demand/uk/brands/toppings) ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Barter Books: search popularity in the United Kingdom". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/brands/barter-books This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/brands/barter-books. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.