Department stores in the United Kingdom:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, M&S was the most searched department store in the United Kingdom, accounting for 47.3% of all searches among the eight stores we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Harrods and Selfridges showed up in every answer. Harrods was recommended most often, coming first in two out of three responses that gave a list.
M&SShare of searches 47.3%Mentioned in 0 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
John LewisShare of searches 23.6%Mentioned in 3 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
HarrodsShare of searches 8.6%Mentioned in 4 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
SelfridgesShare of searches 8.6%Mentioned in 4 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
DebenhamsShare of searches 7.1%Mentioned in 0 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
Follow department stores 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
Top department stores in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Harrods and Selfridges appeared every time. Harrods was recommended most often, coming first in two out of three answers that gave a list. Selfridges was second, and John Lewis was third. M&S, which ranked first in searches, was not mentioned at all.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Harrods4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Selfridges4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- John Lewis3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Liberty London3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Harvey Nichols2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers- M&S0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Debenhams0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
House of Fraser0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about department stores
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which department store should I shop at in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best department stores in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best UK department store for designer brands?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“department store”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“department stores 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 22, 2026.
Which department stores do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each department store by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight department stores we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for M&S, John Lewis, Harrods, Selfridges, Debenhams, Liberty London. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | M&S | John Lewis | Harrods | Selfridges | Debenhams | Liberty London | House of Fraser | Harvey Nichols |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 43.9% | 24.1% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 1.8% | 2.7% | 1.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 39.9% | 26.8% | 8% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 2% | 2.4% | 1.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 39.6% | 24.2% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 8.9% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 42.4% | 25.9% | 7.7% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 44.6% | 22.3% | 8.2% | 10% | 10% | 1.6% | 2% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 46.6% | 23.3% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 43.7% | 21.8% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 2% | 2% | 1.3% |
| May 2026 | 45.5% | 22.7% | 10.1% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 2% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.6% | 24.2% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 8.8% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| Jul 2026 | 39.9% | 24.4% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 8.9% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 45% | 22.5% | 10% | 10% | 6.8% | 2% | 1.7% | 2% |
| Sep 2026 | 47.3% | 23.6% | 8.6% | 8.6% | 7.1% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 47.3% | 5.5M | 0% | +2.3 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 23.6% | 2.7M | 0% | +1.1 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 8.6% | 1M | -18% | -1.4 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 8.6% | 1M | -18% | -1.4 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 7.1% | 823K | 0% | +0.3 points | |
| 6, moved from 7th to 6th | 2.1% | 246K | 0% | +0.1 pointsmoved from 7th to 6th | |
| 7, moved from 8th to 7th | 1.4% | 165K | -17.9% | -0.2 pointsmoved from 8th to 7th | |
| 8, moved from 6th to 8th | 1.2% | 135K | -45.1% | -0.9 pointsmoved from 6th to 8th |
1.
M&S47.3%
Held 1st. 5.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +2.3 points.
23.6%
Held 2nd. 2.7M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.1 points.
3.
Harrods8.6%
Held 3rd. 1M estimated branded searches, -18% vs prior month. Share -1.4 points.
8.6%
Held 4th. 1M estimated branded searches, -18% vs prior month. Share -1.4 points.
7.1%
Held 5th. 823K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.
2.1%
Moved from 7th to 6th. 246K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
1.4%
Moved from 8th to 7th. 165K estimated branded searches, -17.9% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.
1.2%
Moved from 6th to 8th. 135K estimated branded searches, -45.1% vs prior month. Share -0.9 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among department stores in the United Kingdom?
8 brands
In September 2026, M&S was the most searched among department stores in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 5.5M branded searches, 47.3% of all searches for the eight we track. John Lewis is in 2nd place, 23.6 percentage points behind at 23.6%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M&S | 43.9% → 47.3% | 47.3%Sep 2026 | 39.6%Jun 2026 | 1st |
| John Lewis | 24.1% → 23.6% | 26.8%Nov 2025 | 21.8%Apr 2026 | 2nd |
| Harrods | 8.8% → 8.6% | 10.9%Jul 2026 | 7.7%Jan 2026 | 4th → 3rd |
| Selfridges | 8.8% → 8.6% | 10.9%Jul 2026 | 8.3%May 2026 | 5th → 4th |
| Debenhams | 8.8% → 7.1% | 10%Feb 2026 | 6.8%Aug 2026 | 3rd → 5th |
| Liberty London | 1.8% → 2.1% | 2.2%Jul 2026 | 1.6%Jan 2026 | 7th → 6th |
| House of Fraser | 2.7% → 1.4% | 2.7%Oct 2025 | 1.4%Sep 2026 | 6th → 7th |
| Harvey Nichols | 1.2% | 2%Aug 2026 | 1.1%Mar 2026 | 8th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, M&S’s share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom increased from 43.9% to 47.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Debenhams’ share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom decreased from 8.8% to 7.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, House of Fraser’s share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom decreased from 2.7% to 1.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, M&S’s share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom peaked at 47.3% in September 2026 and was lowest at 39.6% in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, John Lewis’ share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom peaked at 26.8% in November 2025 and was lowest at 21.8% in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Harrods’ share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom peaked at 10.9% in July 2026 and was lowest at 7.7% in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Selfridges’ share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom peaked at 10.9% in July 2026 and was lowest at 8.3% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Debenhams’ share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom peaked at 10% in February 2026 and was lowest at 6.8% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Harrods rose from 4th to 3rd among department stores in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Selfridges rose from 5th to 4th among department stores in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Debenhams fell from 3rd to 5th among department stores in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Liberty London rose from 7th to 6th among department stores in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, House of Fraser fell from 6th to 7th among department stores in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, John Lewis and Harvey Nichols held steady: their share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom department stores in September 2026?
8 changes
In September 2026, M&S gained share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom, from 45% to 47.3%.
In September 2026, John Lewis gained share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom, from 22.5% to 23.6%.
In September 2026, Harrods lost share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom, from 10% to 8.6%.
In September 2026, Selfridges lost share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom, from 10% to 8.6%.
In September 2026, Harvey Nichols lost share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom, from 2% to 1.2%.
In September 2026, House of Fraser rose from 8th to 7th among department stores in the United Kingdom.
In September 2026, Liberty London rose from 7th to 6th among department stores in the United Kingdom.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Debenhams in the United Kingdom fell 32.5% over 12 measured months, from 1.2M to 823K in September 2026.
Compare popularity between leading brands
- M&S vs John Lewis: compare popularity
- M&S vs Harrods: compare popularity
- M&S vs Selfridges: compare popularity
- M&S vs Debenhams: compare popularity
- John Lewis vs Harrods: compare popularity
- John Lewis vs Selfridges: compare popularity
- John Lewis vs Debenhams: compare popularity
- Harrods vs Selfridges: compare popularity
- Harrods vs Debenhams: compare popularity
- Selfridges vs Debenhams: compare popularity
- Compare any of these brands
See your own brand in this picture
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to your campaigns, spend and outcomes, so you can see what moved your numbers, not just that they moved.