Arnold Clark vs Thrifty:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Arnold Clark had more branded searches than Thrifty among van hire companies in the United Kingdom. Arnold Clark had about 22,200 branded searches, while Thrifty had 480. Arnold Clark made up 33.8% of all van hire company searches we track, and Thrifty accounted for 0.73%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about van hire companies, Arnold Clark appeared in one of the three answers and Thrifty in none.
Who do people search for more?
Arnold Clark, about 46 searches for every 1 for Thrifty
Who does AI mention more?
Arnold Clark, mentioned in 1 of 3 answers, Thrifty in 0
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Top van hire companies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, Arnold Clark was mentioned in one out of three: in one of the three ChatGPT answers. Thrifty did not appear in any of the three answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers- Arnold Clark1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Northgate0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Hertz0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Europcar0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Thrifty0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
See every answer about van hire companies
3 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where's the best place to hire a van in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which van hire company should I use for moving house?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Who has the cheapest van hire in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“van hire”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026.
Is Arnold Clark or Thrifty more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Arnold Clark and Thrifty by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six van hire companies we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Arnold Clark, Thrifty. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Enterprise Rent-A-Car | Arnold Clark | Northgate | Hertz | Europcar | Thrifty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 39.9% | 39.9% | 9.7% | 8% | 1.1% | 1.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 35.3% | 43.1% | 10.5% | 8.6% | 1.1% | 1.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 40.8% | 40.8% | 9.9% | 6.6% | 0.88% | 1.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 40.6% | 40.6% | 9.9% | 6.6% | 0.88% | 1.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 38.5% | 38.5% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 0.83% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 39.3% | 39.3% | 9.6% | 9.6% | 0.86% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 42.5% | 34.8% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 0.92% | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 39.4% | 39.4% | 9.6% | 9.6% | 0.86% | 1% |
| Jun 2026 | 42.6% | 34.9% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 0.93% | 0.93% |
| Jul 2026 | 38.6% | 38.6% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 1% | 0.84% |
| Aug 2026 | 38.6% | 38.6% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 1% | 0.84% |
| Sep 2026 | 41.3% | 33.8% | 15.1% | 8.2% | 0.9% | 0.73% |
Arnold Clark sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “arnold clark van hire”.
How has the Arnold Clark and Thrifty comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Arnold Clark was ahead of Thrifty in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Arnold Clark’s share of searches among van hire companies in the United Kingdom moved from 39.9% to 33.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 22.2K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Thrifty’s share of searches among van hire companies in the United Kingdom moved from 1.5% to 0.73%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1K to 480.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom van hire companies in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Enterprise Rent-A-Car overtook Arnold Clark to become the leader among van hire companies in the United Kingdom, with 41.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, Arnold Clark lost share of searches among van hire companies in the United Kingdom, from 38.6% to 33.8%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Thrifty in the United Kingdom fell 52% over 12 measured months, from 1K to 480 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Arnold Clark’s and Thrifty’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.
Arnold Clark
1 branded search term
- arnold clark van hire
Thrifty
1 branded search term
- thrifty van hire
Other head-to-heads among van hire companies
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