---
title: "Beauty retailers in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the shops people in the UK buy skincare and makeup from. Share of Search among Superdrug, Sephora, Space NK, Lookfantastic, Cult Beauty and Boots, the beauty retailers Brandwave compares in the United Kingdom, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. 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/categories/uk-beauty-retailers"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Beauty retailers in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?

Compare the shops people in the UK buy skincare and makeup from. Share of Search among Superdrug, Sephora, Space NK, Lookfantastic, Cult Beauty and Boots, the beauty retailers Brandwave compares in the United Kingdom, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. 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

- **Competitive set**: Beauty retailers
- **Market**: United Kingdom
- **Brands compared**: 6
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Superdrug, 50.3%

## Which brand is most popular in search among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom?

- In September 2026, Superdrug was the most searched among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 1.5M branded searches, 50.3% of all searches for the six we track.
- Sephora is in 2nd place, 32.2 percentage points behind at 18.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Superdrug’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom decreased from 52.9% to 50.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sephora’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom increased from 16.9% to 18.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Space NK’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom increased from 13% to 15.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lookfantastic’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom decreased from 13% to 12.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Superdrug’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom peaked at 57% in May 2026 and was lowest at 42.5% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sephora’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom peaked at 20.3% in November 2025 and was lowest at 13.8% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Space NK’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom peaked at 17.1% in December 2025 and was lowest at 11% in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lookfantastic’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom peaked at 15.6% in November 2025 and was lowest at 11.4% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cult Beauty’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom peaked at 5.7% in November 2025 and was lowest at 3.4% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Space NK rose from 4th to 3rd among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lookfantastic fell from 3rd to 4th among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cult Beauty and Boots held steady: their share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top beauty retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Space NK, Cult Beauty and Boots appeared every time. Boots was recommended most often, coming first in three out of four answers. Sephora was second, and Space NK was third.

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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Boots | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 |
| Sephora | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 |
| Space NK | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 |
| Lookfantastic | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 |
| Cult Beauty | 5th | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 |
| Superdrug | 6th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 |

## Every AI answer about beauty retailers

- Asked ChatGPT "Where should I buy skincare and makeup in the UK?": 1. Boots, 2. Sephora, 3. Space NK, 4. Superdrug, 5. Cult Beauty
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best beauty shops in the UK?": 1. Boots, 2. Sephora, 3. Space NK, 4. Superdrug, 5. Lookfantastic, 6. Cult Beauty
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best online beauty retailer in the UK?": 1. Lookfantastic, 2. Boots, 3. Cult Beauty, 4. Space NK
- Searched Google, AI Overview "beauty retailers": 1. Boots, 2. Sephora, 3. Space NK, 4. Cult Beauty

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Superdrug vs Sephora: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/sephora-vs-superdrug): 50.3% against 18.1% Share of Search.
- [Superdrug vs Space NK: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/space-nk-vs-superdrug): 50.3% against 15.1% Share of Search.
- [Superdrug vs Lookfantastic: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/lookfantastic-vs-superdrug): 50.3% against 12.3% Share of Search.
- [Superdrug vs Cult Beauty: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/cult-beauty-vs-superdrug): 50.3% against 3.7% Share of Search.
- [Sephora vs Space NK: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/sephora-vs-space-nk): 18.1% against 15.1% Share of Search.
- [Sephora vs Lookfantastic: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/lookfantastic-vs-sephora): 18.1% against 12.3% Share of Search.
- [Sephora vs Cult Beauty: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/cult-beauty-vs-sephora): 18.1% against 3.7% Share of Search.
- [Space NK vs Lookfantastic: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/lookfantastic-vs-space-nk): 15.1% against 12.3% Share of Search.
- [Space NK vs Cult Beauty: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/cult-beauty-vs-space-nk): 15.1% against 3.7% Share of Search.
- [Lookfantastic vs Cult Beauty: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/cult-beauty-vs-lookfantastic): 12.3% against 3.7% Share of Search.

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

- In September 2026, Space NK overtook Lookfantastic to rank 3rd among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom, with 15.1% of the searches.
- In September 2026, Sephora gained share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom, from 16.7% to 18.1%.
- In September 2026, Lookfantastic gained share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom, from 11.4% to 12.3%.
- In September 2026, Superdrug lost share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom, from 56.6% to 50.3%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Boots in the United Kingdom rose 82.7% over 12 measured months, from 8.1K to 14.8K in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Cult Beauty in the United Kingdom fell 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 135K to 110K in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Superdrug | 50.3% | 1.5M | -18.0% | Superdrug |
| 2 | Sephora | 18.1% | 541K | 0.0% | Sephora |
| 3 | Space NK | 15.1% | 450K | +22.3% | Space NK |
| 4 | Lookfantastic | 12.3% | 368K | 0.0% | Lookfantastic |
| 5 | Cult Beauty | 3.7% | 110K | 0.0% | Cult Beauty |
| 6 | Boots | 0.5% | 14.8K | 0.0% | Boots |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Superdrug | 1.8M | 52.9% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Sephora | 585K | 16.9% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Lookfantastic | 450K | 13% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Space NK | 450K | 13% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Cult Beauty | 135K | 3.9% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Boots | 8.1K | 0.23% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Superdrug | 2.2M | 42.5% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Sephora | 1.1M | 20.3% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Lookfantastic | 823K | 15.6% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Space NK | 823K | 15.6% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Cult Beauty | 301K | 5.7% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Boots | 9.9K | 0.19% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Superdrug | 2.2M | 46.5% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Sephora | 874K | 18.1% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Space NK | 823K | 17.1% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Lookfantastic | 673K | 14% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Cult Beauty | 201K | 4.2% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Boots | 8.1K | 0.17% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Superdrug | 1.5M | 48.4% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Sephora | 560K | 18.1% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Lookfantastic | 450K | 14.5% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Space NK | 450K | 14.5% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Cult Beauty | 135K | 4.4% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Boots | 6.6K | 0.21% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Superdrug | 1.5M | 51.8% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Sephora | 541K | 18.7% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Lookfantastic | 368K | 12.7% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Space NK | 368K | 12.7% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Cult Beauty | 110K | 3.8% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Boots | 6.6K | 0.23% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Superdrug | 1.5M | 48.6% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Sephora | 541K | 17.5% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Lookfantastic | 450K | 14.6% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Space NK | 450K | 14.6% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Cult Beauty | 135K | 4.4% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Boots | 8.1K | 0.26% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Superdrug | 1.5M | 51.4% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Sephora | 541K | 18.5% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Lookfantastic | 368K | 12.6% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Space NK | 368K | 12.6% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Cult Beauty | 135K | 4.6% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Boots | 8.1K | 0.28% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Superdrug | 1.8M | 57% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Lookfantastic | 450K | 14% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Sephora | 442K | 13.8% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Space NK | 368K | 11.5% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Cult Beauty | 110K | 3.4% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Boots | 12.1K | 0.38% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Superdrug | 1.5M | 54.9% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Sephora | 442K | 16.2% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Lookfantastic | 368K | 13.5% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Space NK | 301K | 11% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Cult Beauty | 110K | 4% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Boots | 12.1K | 0.44% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Superdrug | 1.8M | 56.9% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Sephora | 524K | 16.3% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Lookfantastic | 368K | 11.4% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Space NK | 368K | 11.4% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Cult Beauty | 110K | 3.4% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Boots | 14.8K | 0.46% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Superdrug | 1.8M | 56.6% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Sephora | 541K | 16.7% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Lookfantastic | 368K | 11.4% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Space NK | 368K | 11.4% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Cult Beauty | 110K | 3.4% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Boots | 14.8K | 0.46% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Superdrug | 1.5M | 50.3% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Sephora | 541K | 18.1% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | Space NK | 450K | 15.1% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Lookfantastic | 368K | 12.3% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Cult Beauty | 110K | 3.7% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Boots | 14.8K | 0.5% | 6 |

## What is being compared

- **Boots**: Measured on the search term “boots beauty”.
- **Cult Beauty**: Measured on the search term “cult beauty”.
- **Lookfantastic**: Measured on the search term “lookfantastic”.
- **Sephora**: Measured on the search terms “sephora” and “sephora uk”, summed into one figure.
- **Space NK**: Measured on the search term “space nk”.
- **Superdrug**: Measured on the search term “superdrug”.

- [Boots](/demand/uk/brands/boots)
- [Cult Beauty](/demand/uk/brands/cult-beauty)
- [Lookfantastic](/demand/uk/brands/lookfantastic)
- [Sephora](/demand/uk/brands/sephora)
- [Space NK](/demand/uk/brands/space-nk)
- [Superdrug](/demand/uk/brands/superdrug)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom?

In September 2026, Superdrug was the most searched among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 1.5M branded searches, 50.3% of all searches for the six we track.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Beauty retailers in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-beauty-retailers

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-beauty-retailers. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.