Brandwave

How popular isRiver Island?

In September 2026, people searched for River Island by name about 1 million times in the United Kingdom, a 33.3% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 4.4% of all United Kingdom clothing shop searches, placing River Island eighth out of 15 shops. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about clothing shops, River Island did not appear in any of the answers.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

River Island is the eighth most searched of 15 competitors and not listed in any AI answer.

  1. PrimarkShare of searches 26.7%Mentioned in 2 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. TK MaxxShare of searches 17.8%Mentioned in 1 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
  3. NextShare of searches 10.2%Mentioned in 1 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  4. H&MShare of searches 8%Mentioned in 1 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 7th
  5. River IslandShare of searches 4.4%Mentioned in 0 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –

+10 more

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Top clothing shops in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, River Island did not appear in any of the three answers.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Primark1st
  2. Uniqlo2nd
  3. M&S3rd
  4. Next4th
  5. George5th
  6. TK Maxx6th
  7. H&M7th
  8. +2 more
  9. New Look–
  10. River Island–
  11. Tu–
  12. +3 more

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Primark2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Uniqlo2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • M&S2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • George2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • TK Maxx1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Next1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • H&M1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Zara1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Matalan0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • River Island0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers

+5 more

See every answer about clothing shops

3 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

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

    1. 1Primark
    2. 2TK Maxx
    3. 3George
    4. 4Uniqlo

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which high street shop has the best quality basics?”

    1. 1Uniqlo
    2. 2M&S

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Where should I buy kids' clothes in the UK?”

    1. 1Next
    2. 2Primark
    3. 3M&S
    4. 4H&M
    5. 5George
    6. 6Zara

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “clothes shops”

    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 27, 2026.

Which clothing shops compete with River Island?

River Island against clothing shops in the United Kingdom, by month

Share of searches by month for Primark, TK Maxx, Next, H&M, Matalan, Zara, New Look, River Island, Uniqlo, Tu. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthPrimarkTK MaxxNextH&MMatalanZaraNew LookRiver IslandUniqloTuPeacocksF&FM&SGeorgeMango
Oct 202524.9%16.6%6.5%7.4%9.1%9.1%6.1%6.1%6.1%3.3%2.7%0.82%0.55%0.65%0.06%
Nov 202522%17.9%7%8%9.8%9.8%6.6%5.4%5.4%3%3%0.88%0.59%0.66%0.05%
Dec 202522.6%18.5%7.2%6.8%10.1%10.1%6.8%6.8%4.5%2.5%2.5%0.61%0.5%0.59%0.05%
Jan 202621.3%17.4%8.3%7.8%9.5%9.5%6.3%6.3%6.3%2.9%2.3%0.7%0.57%0.64%0.08%
Feb 202623.6%19.3%7.5%7%8.6%8.6%7%5.8%4.7%3.2%2.6%0.63%0.52%0.76%0.07%
Mar 202624.4%16.3%7.8%7.3%8.9%8.9%7.3%5.9%4.9%3.3%2.7%0.8%0.66%0.68%0.07%
Apr 202623.9%16%7.6%7.2%10.7%8.8%7.2%5.8%4.8%3.2%2.6%0.79%0.53%0.67%0.09%
May 202621.8%17.9%6.9%8%9.8%9.8%8%5.3%4.4%2.9%2.9%0.88%0.59%0.74%0.08%
Jun 202623.2%15.5%8.9%8.5%8.5%10.4%7%5.7%4.6%3.1%2.5%0.76%0.63%0.65%0.08%
Jul 202623.5%15.7%9%8.6%10.5%8.6%7%5.7%3.9%2.6%2.6%0.77%0.77%0.66%0.07%
Aug 202626.1%17.5%8.2%7.8%9.6%7.8%6.4%5.2%4.3%2.9%1.9%0.86%0.7%0.68%0.05%
Sep 202626.7%17.8%10.2%8%8%8%5.3%4.4%4.4%2.9%2%0.88%0.72%0.7%0.06%

  1. 1.Primark

    26.7%

    Held 1st. 6.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.

  2. 2.TK Maxx

    17.8%

    Held 2nd. 4.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.

  3. 3.Next

    10.2%

    Moved from 4th to 3rd. 2.3M estimated branded searches, +21.4% vs prior month. Share +2 points.

  4. 4.H&M

    8%

    Moved from 5th to 4th. 1.8M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  5. 5.Matalan

    8%

    Moved from 3rd to 5th. 1.8M estimated branded searches, -18.3% vs prior month. Share -1.6 points.

  6. 6.Zara

    8%

    Held 6th. 1.8M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  7. 7.New Look

    5.3%

    Held 7th. 1.2M estimated branded searches, -18.7% vs prior month. Share -1.1 points.

  8. 8.River Island

    4.4%

    Held 8th. 1M estimated branded searches, -18% vs prior month. Share -0.8 points.

  9. 9.Uniqlo

    4.4%

    Held 9th. 1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  10. 10.Tu

    2.9%

    Held 10th. 673K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  11. 11.Peacocks

    2%

    Held 11th. 450K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  12. 12.F&F

    0.88%

    Held 12th. 201K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  13. 13.M&S

    0.72%

    Held 13th. 165K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  14. 14.George

    0.7%

    Held 14th. 160K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  15. 15.Mango

    0.06%

    Held 15th. 14.8K estimated branded searches, +22.3% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

M&S sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “marks and spencer clothing”.

Compare popularity between River Island and its closest rivals

Every comparison with River Island

23 comparisons

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

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for River Island in the United Kingdom fell from 1.5M to 1M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, River Island’s share of searches among clothing shops in the United Kingdom decreased from 6.1% to 4.4%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, River Island’s share of searches among clothing shops in the United Kingdom peaked at 6.8% in December 2025 and was lowest at 4.4% in September 2026.

How did search popularity change for United Kingdom clothing shops in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Next overtook Matalan to rank 3rd among clothing shops in the United Kingdom, with 10.2% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Primark gained share of searches among clothing shops in the United Kingdom, from 26.1% to 26.7%.

  3. In September 2026, Matalan lost share of searches among clothing shops in the United Kingdom, from 9.6% to 8%.

  4. In September 2026, New Look lost share of searches among clothing shops in the United Kingdom, from 6.4% to 5.3%.

  5. In September 2026, River Island lost share of searches among clothing shops in the United Kingdom, from 5.2% to 4.4%.

  6. TK Maxx’s share of searches among clothing shops in the United Kingdom has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 15.5% to 17.8% in September 2026.

How are River Island’s branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using River Island’s 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.

  • river island
  • river island jeans

Do you work for River Island? 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 River Island compete?

River Island is ranked in three competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Clothing shops8th of 154.4%Shown above
Online fashion retailers7th of 107.1%Show ranking
Jeans brands5th of 710.4%Show ranking
Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

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