Brandwave

Boots vs Vision Direct:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Vision Direct had more branded searches than Boots among contact lens retailers in the United Kingdom. Vision Direct had about 49,500 branded searches, while Boots had 3,600. Vision Direct made up 27.6% of all contact lens retailer searches we track, and Boots accounted for 2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about contact lens retailers, Vision Direct appeared in four of the five answers and Boots in one. Vision Direct was mentioned before Boots in two out of three answers.

Among contact lens retailers in the United Kingdom in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Vision Direct, about 14 searches for every 1 for Boots

Vision Direct 49.5K searchesBoots 3.6K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Vision Direct, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Boots in 1

Vision Direct in 4 of 5Boots in 1 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Vision Direct, named ahead of Boots in 2 of 3 answers

Vision Direct first in 2Boots first in 1

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Top contact lens retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Vision Direct was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Boots was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Vision Direct was listed before Boots in two out of three answers.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Vision Direct1st
  2. Feel Good Contacts2nd
  3. Lenstore3rd
  4. Specsavers4th
  5. Boots5th

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Lenstore4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Vision Direct4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Feel Good Contacts3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Specsavers2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Boots1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about contact lens retailers

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026.

Is Boots or Vision Direct more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Boots and Vision Direct by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five contact lens retailers we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.

Boots and Vision Direct among contact lens retailers in the United Kingdom, by month

Share of searches by month for Vision Direct, Boots. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthFeel Good ContactsLenstoreVision DirectSpecsaversBoots
Oct 202529.6%24.2%29.6%13.3%3.2%
Nov 202529.8%24.4%29.8%13.4%2.6%
Dec 202530.7%25.1%30.7%11.2%2.2%
Jan 202629.8%24.4%29.8%13.4%2.6%
Feb 202627.3%27.3%27.3%15%3%
Mar 202627.5%27.5%27.5%15.1%2.4%
Apr 202627.5%27.5%27.5%15.1%2.4%
May 202627.5%27.5%27.5%15.1%2.4%
Jun 202627.5%27.5%27.5%15.1%2.4%
Jul 202630%24.5%30%13.4%2.2%
Aug 202631.7%25.9%25.9%14.2%2.3%
Sep 202627.6%27.6%27.6%15.1%2%

How has the Boots and Vision Direct comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for United Kingdom contact lens retailers in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Vision Direct gained share of searches among contact lens retailers in the United Kingdom, from 25.9% to 27.6%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Boots in the United Kingdom fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 5.4K to 3.6K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Boots’ and Vision Direct’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.

Boots

1 branded search term

  • boots contact lenses

Vision Direct

1 branded search term

  • vision direct

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among contact lens retailers

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