--- title: "CEF vs TLC Direct: Which is searched more in the United Kingdom?" description: "Is CEF or TLC Direct more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Electrical wholesalers set in the United Kingdom. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/compare/cef-vs-tlc-direct" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # CEF vs TLC Direct: Which is searched more in the United Kingdom? Is CEF or TLC Direct more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Electrical wholesalers set in the United Kingdom. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: CEF and TLC Direct - **Competitive set**: Electrical wholesalers - **Market**: United Kingdom - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **CEF Share of Search**: 44.6% - **TLC Direct Share of Search**: 10.9% ## Is CEF or TLC Direct more popular in search? - In September 2026, CEF had more branded searches than TLC Direct among electrical wholesalers in the United Kingdom. CEF had about 135,000 branded searches, while TLC Direct had 33,100. CEF made up 44.6% of all electrical wholesaler searches we track, and TLC Direct accounted for 10.9%. - CEF was ahead of TLC Direct in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CEF’s share of searches among electrical wholesalers in the United Kingdom moved from 49.4% to 44.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 135K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, TLC Direct’s share of searches among electrical wholesalers in the United Kingdom moved from 9.9% to 10.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 33.1K. ## Top electrical wholesalers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, CEF appeared in all four answers. TLC Direct was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. CEF was listed before TLC Direct in every answer. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | CEF | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | YESSS Electrical | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | Rexel | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | TLC Direct | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Electric Center | 5th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 1 of 4 | | Edmundson Electrical | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | ## Every AI answer about electrical wholesalers - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best electrical wholesaler in the UK for a small electrical contractor?": 1. CEF, 2. YESSS Electrical, 3. Rexel - Asked ChatGPT "Where can electricians in the UK buy cable and fittings at trade prices?": 1. CEF, 2. YESSS Electrical, 3. Rexel, 4. TLC Direct - Asked ChatGPT "Which UK electrical wholesalers let you order online and collect the same day?": 1. CEF, 2. YESSS Electrical, 3. Rexel, 4. Electric Center, 5. TLC Direct - Searched Google, AI Overview "electrical supplies": 1. YESSS Electrical, 2. CEF Not named in any answer: Edmundson Electrical. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United Kingdom on October 28, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for United Kingdom electrical wholesalers in September 2026? - In September 2026, CEF gained share of searches among electrical wholesalers in the United Kingdom, from 43.1% to 44.6%. ## Month by month | Month | CEF estimated searches | CEF Share of Search | CEF rank | TLC Direct estimated searches | TLC Direct Share of Search | TLC Direct rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 165K | 49.4% | 1 | 33.1K | 9.9% | 3 | | Nov 2025 | 165K | 52% | 1 | 33.1K | 10.4% | 3 | | Dec 2025 | 135K | 51% | 1 | 33.1K | 12.5% | 3 | | Jan 2026 | 165K | 51.8% | 1 | 33.1K | 10.4% | 3 | | Feb 2026 | 135K | 47.5% | 1 | 33.1K | 11.7% | 3 | | Mar 2026 | 165K | 48.7% | 1 | 33.1K | 9.8% | 3 | | Apr 2026 | 110K | 43.5% | 1 | 27.1K | 10.7% | 3 | | May 2026 | 110K | 43.5% | 1 | 27.1K | 10.7% | 3 | | Jun 2026 | 110K | 42.9% | 1 | 27.1K | 10.6% | 3 | | Jul 2026 | 110K | 43.1% | 1 | 27.1K | 10.6% | 3 | | Aug 2026 | 110K | 43.1% | 1 | 27.1K | 10.6% | 3 | | Sep 2026 | 135K | 44.6% | 1 | 33.1K | 10.9% | 3 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using CEF’s and TLC 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. - **CEF**: Measured on the search term “cef”. - **TLC Direct**: Measured on the search term “tlc electrical”. - [CEF profile](/demand/uk/brands/cef) - [TLC Direct profile](/demand/uk/brands/tlc-direct) - [All electrical wholesalers in the United Kingdom](/demand/uk/categories/uk-electrical-wholesalers): The set both shares are measured inside, 6 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is CEF or TLC Direct more popular in search? In September 2026, CEF had more branded searches than TLC Direct among electrical wholesalers in the United Kingdom. CEF had about 135,000 branded searches, while TLC Direct had 33,100. CEF made up 44.6% of all electrical wholesaler searches we track, and TLC Direct accounted for 10.9%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "CEF vs TLC Direct: Which is searched more in the United Kingdom?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/compare/cef-vs-tlc-direct This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/compare/cef-vs-tlc-direct. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.