Birchbox vs M&S:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, M&S had more branded searches than Birchbox among beauty boxes in the United Kingdom. M&S had about 2,400 branded searches, while Birchbox had 1,300. M&S made up 5.8% of all beauty box searches we track, and Birchbox accounted for 3.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about beauty boxes, neither Birchbox nor M&S appeared in any of the five answers.
Who do people search for more?
M&S, about 85% more searches than Birchbox
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 0 of 5 answers.
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Top beauty boxes in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, neither Birchbox nor M&S showed up in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Lookfantastic1st
GLOSSYBOX2nd
Boots3rd
Next4th
Cult Beauty5th
Liberty London6th
Latest in Beauty7th- M&S–
Birchbox–
John Lewis–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Lookfantastic5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- GLOSSYBOX4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Boots3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Next2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Latest in Beauty1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Liberty London1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Cult Beauty1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- M&S0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Birchbox0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- John Lewis0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about beauty boxes
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best beauty subscription box in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which beauty box is worth the money?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's a good beauty box to give as a gift?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“beauty box”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“beauty boxes uk”
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.
Share of searches by month for M&S, Birchbox. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | GLOSSYBOX | Boots | Next | Latest in Beauty | M&S | Lookfantastic | Birchbox | Liberty London | Cult Beauty | John Lewis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34.2% | 27.9% | 10.2% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 32.7% | 32.7% | 11.9% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 1.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 39.1% | 26.1% | 11.6% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 6.3% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 2.9% | 1.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 37% | 20.2% | 9% | 4.9% | 13.5% | 5.9% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2% | 1.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 44% | 16% | 13.1% | 4.6% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 3.2% | 1.8% | 3.5% | 2.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 35.9% | 19.7% | 13.1% | 5.8% | 10.7% | 5.8% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 2.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 38.5% | 21.1% | 11.4% | 4.9% | 7.5% | 6.2% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.6% |
| May 2026 | 24.7% | 16.5% | 9% | 4.8% | 30.2% | 7.3% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 32.9% | 18% | 9.8% | 5.3% | 14.7% | 6.4% | 2.2% | 2% | 2.3% | 6.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 26.9% | 32.9% | 9.8% | 5.3% | 8% | 8% | 2% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2% |
| Aug 2026 | 37% | 24.7% | 9% | 7.4% | 5.9% | 7.4% | 2.7% | 2% | 2.2% | 1.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 43.5% | 19.5% | 10.6% | 7% | 5.8% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1.8% | 1.7% |
M&S sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “m&s beauty box”.
How has the Birchbox and M&S comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- M&S was ahead of Birchbox in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Birchbox’s share of searches among beauty boxes in the United Kingdom moved from 2.5% to 3.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.6K to 1.3K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, M&S’s share of searches among beauty boxes in the United Kingdom moved from 6.8% to 5.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.4K to 2.4K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom beauty boxes in September 2026?
2 changes
M&S’s share of searches among beauty boxes in the United Kingdom has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 14.7% to 5.8% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Birchbox in the United Kingdom fell 18.8% over 12 measured months, from 1.6K to 1.3K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Birchbox’s and M&S’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 beauty boxes
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