Dunelm vs IKEA:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Dunelm had more branded searches than IKEA among rug retailers in the United Kingdom. Dunelm had about 74,000 branded searches, while IKEA had 49,500. Dunelm made up 29.6% of all rug retailer searches we track, and IKEA accounted for 19.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about rug retailers, Dunelm appeared in all five answers and IKEA in four. Dunelm was mentioned before IKEA in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Dunelm, about 49% more searches than IKEA
Who does AI mention more?
Dunelm, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Dunelm, named ahead of IKEA in every answer
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Top rug retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Dunelm appeared in all five answers. IKEA was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Dunelm was listed before IKEA in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Dunelm1st
IKEA2nd
Ruggable3rd
Next3rd
Habitat5th
Rugs Direct6th
La Redoute7th
Wayfair8th
John Lewis9th
The Rug Seller10th- +1 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Dunelm5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- IKEA4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Ruggable4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Next3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- John Lewis2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Rugs Direct2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Wayfair2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Habitat2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- La Redoute2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Land of Rugs1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about rug retailers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where's the best place to buy a rug online in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which UK shops sell good quality affordable rugs?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Where can I buy a washable rug in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“rugs”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“rugs uk”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026.
Is Dunelm or IKEA more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Dunelm and IKEA by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 rug retailers we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Dunelm, IKEA. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Dunelm | IKEA | Ruggable | Next | John Lewis | Rugs Direct | Wayfair | Habitat | La Redoute | Land of Rugs | The Rug Seller |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 32.4% | 17.8% | 21.8% | 8% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 0.85% | 0.38% | 0.26% |
| Nov 2025 | 31% | 17.1% | 20.9% | 9.3% | 6.3% | 5.1% | 6.3% | 2.3% | 1% | 0.45% | 0.25% |
| Dec 2025 | 35.5% | 15.9% | 19.4% | 8.7% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 2.6% | 0.94% | 0.39% | 0.23% |
| Jan 2026 | 32.6% | 17.8% | 17.8% | 9.8% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 2.9% | 1% | 0.47% | 0.26% |
| Feb 2026 | 32.9% | 18% | 18% | 9.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 1.1% | 0.45% | 0.26% |
| Mar 2026 | 33.5% | 18.3% | 18.3% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 2.4% | 0.86% | 0.45% | 0.22% |
| Apr 2026 | 31.1% | 17% | 20.8% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 0.98% | 0.37% | 0.25% |
| May 2026 | 33.8% | 18.5% | 18.5% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 2.5% | 1.1% | 0.4% | 0.27% |
| Jun 2026 | 36.3% | 16.2% | 19.8% | 7.3% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 4.9% | 2.2% | 0.96% | 0.35% | 0.23% |
| Jul 2026 | 30.1% | 20.1% | 20.1% | 9% | 6% | 6% | 4.9% | 2.2% | 0.97% | 0.36% | 0.24% |
| Aug 2026 | 33.2% | 18.2% | 18.2% | 10% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 0.26% | 0.26% |
| Sep 2026 | 29.6% | 19.8% | 19.8% | 8.9% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 0.96% | 0.24% | 0.19% |
Dunelm and IKEA sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “dunelm rugs”.
How has the Dunelm and IKEA comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Dunelm was ahead of IKEA in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Dunelm’s share of searches among rug retailers in the United Kingdom moved from 32.4% to 29.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 110K to 74K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, IKEA’s share of searches among rug retailers in the United Kingdom moved from 17.8% to 19.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 49.5K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom rug retailers in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, IKEA gained share of searches among rug retailers in the United Kingdom, from 18.2% to 19.8%.
In September 2026, Dunelm lost share of searches among rug retailers in the United Kingdom, from 33.2% to 29.6%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Dunelm’s and IKEA’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.
Other head-to-heads among rug retailers
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