Brandwave

M&S vs River Island:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, M&S had more branded searches than River Island among jeans brands in the United Kingdom. M&S had about 22,200 branded searches, while River Island had 9,900. M&S made up 23.2% of all jeans brand searches we track, and River Island accounted for 10.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about jeans brands, M&S appeared in two of the four answers and River Island in none.

Among jeans brands in the United Kingdom in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

M&S, about 2 searches for every 1 for River Island

M&S 22.2K searchesRiver Island 9.9K searches

Who does AI mention more?

M&S, mentioned in 2 of 4 answers, River Island in 0

M&S in 2 of 4River Island in 0 of 4

Who does AI recommend more?

M&S, the only one of the two named

M&S first in 2River Island never named

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Top jeans brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, M&S was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. River Island did not appear in any of the four answers.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Levi's1st
  2. Wrangler2nd
  3. M&S3rd
  4. Diesel–
  5. River Island–
  6. Lee–
  7. G-Star RAW–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Levi's4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • M&S2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Wrangler2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Diesel0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • River Island0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Lee0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • G-Star RAW0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about jeans brands

4 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best jeans brands in the UK?”

    1. 1Levi's
    2. 2M&S
    3. 3Wrangler

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Where can I buy jeans that fit well in the UK?”

    1. 1Levi's
    2. 2M&S

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which jeans last the longest?”

    1. 1Wrangler
    2. 2Levi's

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “jeans”

    1. 1Levi's

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.

Is M&S or River Island more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for M&S and River Island by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven jeans brands we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.

M&S and River Island among jeans brands in the United Kingdom, by month

Share of searches by month for M&S, River Island. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthLevi'sM&SWranglerDieselRiver IslandLeeG-Star RAW
Oct 202538.1%20.8%11.4%9.3%11.4%6.2%2.8%
Nov 202547.8%14.3%9.6%9.6%9.6%6.4%2.8%
Dec 202547.3%14.2%9.5%11.6%9.5%5.2%2.8%
Jan 202636.4%20%13.3%10.9%8.9%7.3%3.2%
Feb 202634.2%23%12.5%10.2%10.2%6.8%3%
Mar 202635.2%23.6%10.5%10.5%10.5%7%2.5%
Apr 202639.1%21.4%11.7%9.6%9.6%6.4%2.3%
May 202638%17%13.9%11.4%9.3%7.6%2.8%
Jun 202641.8%15.3%15.3%10.2%8.3%6.8%2.5%
Jul 202637.2%13.6%16.6%13.6%9%7.4%2.7%
Aug 202630.7%16.7%16.7%16.7%9.1%7.5%2.6%
Sep 202628.3%23.2%15.5%12.7%10.4%6.9%3%

M&S and River Island sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “m&s jeans”.

How has the M&S and River Island comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • M&S was ahead of River Island in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, M&S’s share of searches among jeans brands in the United Kingdom moved from 20.8% to 23.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 22.2K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, River Island’s share of searches among jeans brands in the United Kingdom moved from 11.4% to 10.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 14.8K to 9.9K.

How did search popularity change for United Kingdom jeans brands in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, M&S overtook Diesel to rank 2nd among jeans brands in the United Kingdom, with 23.2% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, River Island gained share of searches among jeans brands in the United Kingdom, from 9.1% to 10.4%.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using M&S’s and River Island’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

M&S

1 branded search term

  • m&s jeans

River Island

1 branded search term

  • river island jeans

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among jeans brands

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