Brandwave

How popular isHowdens?

In September 2026, people searched for Howdens by name about 305,000 times in the United Kingdom, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 2.4% of all United Kingdom flooring retailer searches, placing Howdens sixth out of seven retailers. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about flooring retailers, Howdens appeared in one of the three answers.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Howdens is the sixth most searched of 7 competitors.

  1. TapiShare of searches 62.5%Mentioned in 2 of 3 AI answers
  2. Flooring SuperstoreShare of searches 18.3%Mentioned in 1 of 3 AI answers
  3. Direct Wood FlooringShare of searches 6.7%Mentioned in 1 of 3 AI answers
  4. Walls and FloorsShare of searches 5.5%Mentioned in 0 of 3 AI answers
  5. HowdensShare of searches 2.4%Mentioned in 1 of 3 AI answers

+2 more

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Top flooring retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, Howdens was mentioned in one out of three: in one of the three ChatGPT answers.

Mentioned by AI

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

See every answer about flooring retailers

3 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Where's the best place to buy flooring in the UK?”

    1. 1Flooring Superstore
    2. 2Howdens
    3. 3Tapi

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which UK shop is best for buying carpet and having it fitted?”

    1. 1Tapi

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Where can I buy good quality engineered wood flooring online in the UK?”

    1. 1Direct Wood Flooring

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “flooring”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “carpet shops near me”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 28, 2026.

Which flooring retailers compete with Howdens?

Howdens against flooring retailers in the United Kingdom, by month

Share of searches by month for Tapi, Flooring Superstore, Direct Wood Flooring, Walls and Floors, B&Q, Howdens. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthTapiFlooring SuperstoreDirect Wood FlooringWalls and FloorsB&QHowdensLeader Floors
Oct 202562.4%19.1%4.7%5.7%3.8%2.5%1.7%
Nov 202562%18.2%5.4%6.7%3.6%2.4%1.6%
Dec 202558.5%21%6.3%6.3%4.2%2.3%1.5%
Jan 202660.6%17.8%6.5%6.5%4.4%2.9%1.3%
Feb 202658.6%20.2%6%7.4%4%2.7%1.2%
Mar 202661.7%18.1%5.4%6.6%4.4%2.4%1.3%
Apr 202663.4%18.6%5.6%5.6%3.7%2%1.1%
May 202658.6%21.1%6.3%6.3%4.2%2.3%1.2%
Jun 202661.6%18.1%6.6%6.6%3.6%2.4%1.1%
Jul 202659.2%21.3%6.4%6.4%3.5%2.3%1%
Aug 202662%18.2%6.7%5.4%4.5%2.4%0.88%
Sep 202662.5%18.3%6.7%5.5%3.7%2.4%0.89%

  1. 1.Tapi

    62.5%

    Held 1st. 113K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.

  2. 2.Flooring Superstore

    18.3%

    Held 2nd. 33.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  3. 3.Direct Wood Flooring

    6.7%

    Held 3rd. 12.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  4. 4.Walls and Floors

    5.5%

    Held 4th. 9.9K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  5. 5.B&Q

    3.7%

    Held 5th. 6.6K estimated branded searches, -18.5% vs prior month. Share -0.8 points.

  6. 6.Howdens

    2.4%

    Held 6th. 4.4K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  7. 7.Leader Floors

    0.89%

    Held 7th. 1.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Howdens and B&Q sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “howdens flooring”.

Compare popularity between Howdens and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Howdens

11 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Howdens changed in the United Kingdom over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Howdens in the United Kingdom held steady, from 306K to 305K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Howdens’ share of searches among flooring retailers in the United Kingdom held steady, from 2.5% to 2.4%.

How did search popularity change for United Kingdom flooring retailers in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Tapi gained share of searches among flooring retailers in the United Kingdom, from 62% to 62.5%.

  2. In September 2026, B&Q lost share of searches among flooring retailers in the United Kingdom, from 4.5% to 3.7%.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Direct Wood Flooring in the United Kingdom rose 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 9.9K to 12.1K in September 2026.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for Leader Floors in the United Kingdom fell 55.6% over 12 measured months, from 3.6K to 1.6K in September 2026.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Howdens in the United Kingdom fell 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 5.4K to 4.4K in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Flooring Superstore in the United Kingdom fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 40.5K to 33.1K in September 2026.

How are Howdens’ branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Howdens’ name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • howdens
  • howdens flooring

Do you work for Howdens? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does Howdens compete?

Howdens is ranked in two competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Kitchen retailers1st of 739.3%Show ranking
Flooring retailers6th of 72.4%Shown above
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