---
title: "Department stores in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the department stores people in the UK shop at. Share of Search among M&S, John Lewis, Harrods, Selfridges, Debenhams, Liberty London, House of Fraser and Harvey Nichols, the department stores 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-department-stores"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Department stores in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?

Compare the department stores people in the UK shop at. Share of Search among M&S, John Lewis, Harrods, Selfridges, Debenhams, Liberty London, House of Fraser and Harvey Nichols, the department stores 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**: Department stores
- **Market**: United Kingdom
- **Brands compared**: 8
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: M&S, 47.3%

## Which brand is most popular in search among department stores in the United Kingdom?

- 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%.
- 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.

## 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.

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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Harrods | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 |
| Selfridges | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 |
| John Lewis | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 |
| Liberty London | 4th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 |
| Harvey Nichols | 5th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 |
| M&S | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 |
| Debenhams | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 |
| House of Fraser | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 |

## Every AI answer about department stores

- Asked ChatGPT "Which department store should I shop at in the UK?": 1. John Lewis, 2. Selfridges, 3. Harrods
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best department stores in the UK?": 1. Harrods, 2. Selfridges, 3. Liberty London, 4. John Lewis, 5. Harvey Nichols
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best UK department store for designer brands?": 1. Harrods, 2. Selfridges, 3. Harvey Nichols, 4. Liberty London
- Searched Google, AI Overview "department store": 1. Harrods, 2. Selfridges, 3. John Lewis, 4. Liberty London

Not named in any answer: M&S, Debenhams and House of Fraser.

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

- [M&S vs John Lewis: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/john-lewis-vs-marks-and-spencer): 47.3% against 23.6% Share of Search.
- [M&S vs Harrods: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/harrods-vs-marks-and-spencer): 47.3% against 8.6% Share of Search.
- [M&S vs Selfridges: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/marks-and-spencer-vs-selfridges): 47.3% against 8.6% Share of Search.
- [M&S vs Debenhams: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/debenhams-vs-marks-and-spencer): 47.3% against 7.1% Share of Search.
- [John Lewis vs Harrods: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/harrods-vs-john-lewis): 23.6% against 8.6% Share of Search.
- [John Lewis vs Selfridges: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/john-lewis-vs-selfridges): 23.6% against 8.6% Share of Search.
- [John Lewis vs Debenhams: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/debenhams-vs-john-lewis): 23.6% against 7.1% Share of Search.
- [Harrods vs Selfridges: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/harrods-vs-selfridges): 8.6% Share of Search each.
- [Harrods vs Debenhams: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/debenhams-vs-harrods): 8.6% against 7.1% Share of Search.
- [Selfridges vs Debenhams: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/debenhams-vs-selfridges): 8.6% against 7.1% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for United Kingdom department stores in September 2026?

- 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.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | M&S | 47.3% | 5.5M | 0.0% | M&S |
| 2 | John Lewis | 23.6% | 2.7M | 0.0% | John Lewis |
| 3 | Harrods | 8.6% | 1M | -18.0% | Harrods |
| 4 | Selfridges | 8.6% | 1M | -18.0% | Selfridges |
| 5 | Debenhams | 7.1% | 823K | 0.0% | Debenhams |
| 6 | Liberty London | 2.1% | 246K | 0.0% | Liberty London |
| 7 | House of Fraser | 1.4% | 165K | -17.9% | House of Fraser |
| 8 | Harvey Nichols | 1.2% | 135K | -45.1% | Harvey Nichols |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | M&S | 6.1M | 43.9% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | John Lewis | 3.4M | 24.1% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Debenhams | 1.2M | 8.8% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Harrods | 1.2M | 8.8% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Selfridges | 1.2M | 8.8% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | House of Fraser | 368K | 2.7% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | Liberty London | 246K | 1.8% | 7 |
| Oct 2025 | Harvey Nichols | 165K | 1.2% | 8 |
| Nov 2025 | M&S | 7.4M | 39.9% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | John Lewis | 5M | 26.8% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Debenhams | 1.8M | 9.8% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Selfridges | 1.8M | 9.8% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Harrods | 1.5M | 8% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | House of Fraser | 450K | 2.4% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Liberty London | 368K | 2% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | Harvey Nichols | 246K | 1.3% | 8 |
| Dec 2025 | M&S | 8.2M | 39.6% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | John Lewis | 5M | 24.2% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Harrods | 2.2M | 10.9% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Selfridges | 2.2M | 10.9% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Debenhams | 1.8M | 8.9% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | House of Fraser | 450K | 2.2% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Liberty London | 450K | 2.2% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | Harvey Nichols | 246K | 1.2% | 8 |
| Jan 2026 | M&S | 5.5M | 42.4% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | John Lewis | 3.4M | 25.9% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Debenhams | 1.2M | 9.4% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Selfridges | 1.2M | 9.4% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Harrods | 1M | 7.7% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | House of Fraser | 301K | 2.3% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Liberty London | 201K | 1.6% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | Harvey Nichols | 165K | 1.3% | 8 |
| Feb 2026 | M&S | 4.5M | 44.6% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | John Lewis | 2.2M | 22.3% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Debenhams | 1M | 10% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Selfridges | 1M | 10% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Harrods | 823K | 8.2% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | House of Fraser | 201K | 2% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Liberty London | 165K | 1.6% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | Harvey Nichols | 135K | 1.3% | 8 |
| Mar 2026 | M&S | 5.5M | 46.6% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | John Lewis | 2.7M | 23.3% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Debenhams | 1M | 8.5% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Harrods | 1M | 8.5% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Selfridges | 1M | 8.5% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | House of Fraser | 201K | 1.7% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Liberty London | 201K | 1.7% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | Harvey Nichols | 135K | 1.1% | 8 |
| Apr 2026 | M&S | 4.5M | 43.7% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | John Lewis | 2.2M | 21.8% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Debenhams | 1M | 9.7% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Harrods | 1M | 9.7% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Selfridges | 1M | 9.7% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | House of Fraser | 201K | 2% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Liberty London | 201K | 2% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | Harvey Nichols | 135K | 1.3% | 8 |
| May 2026 | M&S | 5.5M | 45.5% | 1 |
| May 2026 | John Lewis | 2.7M | 22.7% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Harrods | 1.2M | 10.1% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Debenhams | 1M | 8.3% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Selfridges | 1M | 8.3% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Liberty London | 246K | 2% | 6 |
| May 2026 | House of Fraser | 201K | 1.7% | 7 |
| May 2026 | Harvey Nichols | 165K | 1.4% | 8 |
| Jun 2026 | M&S | 4.5M | 39.6% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | John Lewis | 2.7M | 24.2% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Harrods | 1.2M | 10.8% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Selfridges | 1.2M | 10.8% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Debenhams | 1M | 8.8% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Liberty London | 246K | 2.2% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Harvey Nichols | 201K | 1.8% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | House of Fraser | 201K | 1.8% | 8 |
| Jul 2026 | M&S | 4.5M | 39.9% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | John Lewis | 2.7M | 24.4% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Harrods | 1.2M | 10.9% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Selfridges | 1.2M | 10.9% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Debenhams | 1M | 8.9% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Liberty London | 246K | 2.2% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Harvey Nichols | 165K | 1.5% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | House of Fraser | 165K | 1.5% | 8 |
| Aug 2026 | M&S | 5.5M | 45% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | John Lewis | 2.7M | 22.5% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Harrods | 1.2M | 10% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Selfridges | 1.2M | 10% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Debenhams | 823K | 6.8% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Harvey Nichols | 246K | 2% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Liberty London | 246K | 2% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | House of Fraser | 201K | 1.7% | 8 |
| Sep 2026 | M&S | 5.5M | 47.3% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | John Lewis | 2.7M | 23.6% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | Harrods | 1M | 8.6% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Selfridges | 1M | 8.6% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Debenhams | 823K | 7.1% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Liberty London | 246K | 2.1% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | House of Fraser | 165K | 1.4% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | Harvey Nichols | 135K | 1.2% | 8 |

## What is being compared

- **Debenhams**: Measured on the search term “debenhams”.
- **Harrods**: Measured on the search term “harrods”.
- **Harvey Nichols**: Measured on the search term “harvey nichols”.
- **House of Fraser**: Measured on the search term “house of fraser”.
- **John Lewis**: Measured on the search term “john lewis”.
- **Liberty London**: Measured on the search term “liberty london”.
- **M&S**: Measured on the search terms “m&s” and “marks and spencer”, summed into one figure.
- **Selfridges**: Measured on the search term “selfridges”.

- [Debenhams](/demand/uk/brands/debenhams)
- [Harrods](/demand/uk/brands/harrods)
- [Harvey Nichols](/demand/uk/brands/harvey-nichols)
- [House of Fraser](/demand/uk/brands/house-of-fraser)
- [John Lewis](/demand/uk/brands/john-lewis)
- [Liberty London](/demand/uk/brands/liberty-london)
- [M&S](/demand/uk/brands/marks-and-spencer)
- [Selfridges](/demand/uk/brands/selfridges)

## 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 department stores in the United Kingdom?

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.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Department stores in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-department-stores

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