Cult Beauty vs Superdrug:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Superdrug had more branded searches than Cult Beauty among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom. Superdrug had about 1.5 million branded searches, while Cult Beauty had 110,000. Superdrug made up 50.3% of all beauty retailer searches we track, and Cult Beauty accounted for 3.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about beauty retailers, Cult Beauty appeared in all four answers and Superdrug in two. Cult Beauty and Superdrug were each mentioned first in two of the four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Superdrug, about 14 searches for every 1 for Cult Beauty
Who does AI mention more?
Cult Beauty, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.
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Top beauty retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Cult Beauty appeared in all four answers. Superdrug was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Cult Beauty and Superdrug were each listed first in two of the four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Boots1st
Sephora2nd
Space NK3rd
Lookfantastic4th- Cult Beauty5th
- Superdrug6th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Space NK4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Cult Beauty4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Boots4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Sephora3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Superdrug2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Lookfantastic2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about beauty retailers
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where should I buy skincare and makeup in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best beauty shops in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best online beauty retailer in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“makeup shops”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“beauty retailers”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.
Is Cult Beauty or Superdrug more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Cult Beauty and Superdrug by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six beauty retailers we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Superdrug, Cult Beauty. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Superdrug | Sephora | Space NK | Lookfantastic | Cult Beauty | Boots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 52.9% | 16.9% | 13% | 13% | 3.9% | 0.23% |
| Nov 2025 | 42.5% | 20.3% | 15.6% | 15.6% | 5.7% | 0.19% |
| Dec 2025 | 46.5% | 18.1% | 17.1% | 14% | 4.2% | 0.17% |
| Jan 2026 | 48.4% | 18.1% | 14.5% | 14.5% | 4.4% | 0.21% |
| Feb 2026 | 51.8% | 18.7% | 12.7% | 12.7% | 3.8% | 0.23% |
| Mar 2026 | 48.6% | 17.5% | 14.6% | 14.6% | 4.4% | 0.26% |
| Apr 2026 | 51.4% | 18.5% | 12.6% | 12.6% | 4.6% | 0.28% |
| May 2026 | 57% | 13.8% | 11.5% | 14% | 3.4% | 0.38% |
| Jun 2026 | 54.9% | 16.2% | 11% | 13.5% | 4% | 0.44% |
| Jul 2026 | 56.9% | 16.3% | 11.4% | 11.4% | 3.4% | 0.46% |
| Aug 2026 | 56.6% | 16.7% | 11.4% | 11.4% | 3.4% | 0.46% |
| Sep 2026 | 50.3% | 18.1% | 15.1% | 12.3% | 3.7% | 0.5% |
How has the Cult Beauty and Superdrug comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Superdrug was ahead of Cult Beauty in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cult Beauty’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom moved from 3.9% to 3.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 135K to 110K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Superdrug’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom moved from 52.9% to 50.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.8M to 1.5M.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom beauty retailers in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Superdrug lost share of searches among beauty retailers in the United Kingdom, from 56.6% to 50.3%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Cult Beauty in the United Kingdom fell 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 135K to 110K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cult Beauty’s and Superdrug’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.
Cult Beauty
1 branded search term
- cult beauty
Superdrug
1 branded search term
- superdrug
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