AO vs Hughes:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, AO had more branded searches than Hughes among appliance retailers in the United Kingdom. AO had about 246,000 branded searches, while Hughes had 14,800. AO made up 43.2% of all appliance retailer searches we track, and Hughes accounted for 2.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about appliance retailers, AO appeared in four of the five answers and Hughes in none.
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Top appliance retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, AO was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Hughes did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
John Lewis1st
AO2nd
Currys3rd
Argos4th
Appliances Direct5th
Marks Electrical6th
Euronics6th
Hughes–
Sonic Direct–
Appliance City–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Currys5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- John Lewis5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- AO4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Argos3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Appliances Direct1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Marks Electrical1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Euronics1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Hughes0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Sonic Direct0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Appliance City0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about appliance retailers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where's the best place to buy a washing machine in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which UK retailers are best for buying kitchen appliances?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Where should I buy a new fridge freezer in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“washing machines”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“fridge freezers”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 28, 2026.
Is AO or Hughes more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for AO and Hughes by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten appliance retailers we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for AO, Hughes. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | AO | Currys | Appliances Direct | Marks Electrical | Euronics | Argos | Hughes | John Lewis | Sonic Direct | Appliance City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 19.4% | 23.6% | 15.9% | 13% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 14.6% | 24% | 17.9% | 14.6% | 8% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 2.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 14.4% | 23.6% | 17.7% | 14.4% | 9.7% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 2.9% | 3.5% | 1.9% |
| Jan 2026 | 13.7% | 27.5% | 16.8% | 11.2% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 5% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 16.3% | 24.2% | 16.3% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 8.9% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 1.8% |
| Mar 2026 | 38.6% | 19% | 11.6% | 7.8% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 1.6% | 1.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 35% | 21% | 12.8% | 8.6% | 7% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 18.5% | 24.7% | 18.5% | 12.4% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 3.7% | 3% | 2.5% | 1.6% |
| Jun 2026 | 14.4% | 21.4% | 26.3% | 14.4% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 1.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 21.4% | 22.3% | 21.4% | 11.8% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 46.6% | 17% | 11.5% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 4.2% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 1% |
| Sep 2026 | 43.2% | 19.3% | 10.6% | 8.7% | 5.8% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.2% |
How has the AO and Hughes comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- AO was ahead of Hughes in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, AO’s share of searches among appliance retailers in the United Kingdom moved from 19.4% to 43.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 246K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hughes’ share of searches among appliance retailers in the United Kingdom moved from 4.8% to 2.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 22.2K to 14.8K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom appliance retailers in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, AO lost share of searches among appliance retailers in the United Kingdom, from 46.6% to 43.2%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Hughes in the United Kingdom fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 22.2K to 14.8K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using AO’s and Hughes’ 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.
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