Brandwave

Escentual vs Fragrance Direct:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Fragrance Direct had more branded searches than Escentual among perfume retailers in the United Kingdom. Fragrance Direct had about 12,100 branded searches, while Escentual had 8,100. Fragrance Direct made up 3.2% of all perfume retailer searches we track, and Escentual accounted for 2.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about perfume retailers, Fragrance Direct appeared in one of the five answers and Escentual in none.

Among perfume retailers in the United Kingdom in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Fragrance Direct, about 49% more searches than Escentual

Fragrance Direct 12.1K searchesEscentual 8.1K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Fragrance Direct, mentioned in 1 of 5 answers, Escentual in 0

Fragrance Direct in 1 of 5Escentual in 0 of 5

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Top perfume retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Fragrance Direct was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Escentual did not appear in any of the five answers.

Mentioned by AI

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

  • The Perfume Shop2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Notino1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Fragrance Direct1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • The Fragrance Shop0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Escentual0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about perfume retailers

5 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Where's the cheapest place to buy designer perfume in the UK?”

    1. 1Notino
    2. 2The Perfume Shop
    3. 3Fragrance Direct

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Is it safe to buy perfume from discount websites?”

    1. Asked ChatGPT

      “Which UK shops sell perfume samples?”

      1. Searched Google, AI Overview

        “cheap perfume”

        1. Searched Google, AI Overview

          “perfume online”

          1. 1The Perfume Shop

        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 Escentual or Fragrance Direct more popular in search?

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

        Escentual and Fragrance Direct among perfume retailers in the United Kingdom, by month

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

        View monthly share of searches table
        MonthThe Perfume ShopThe Fragrance ShopNotinoFragrance DirectEscentual
        Oct 202547.4%31.8%14.2%4.3%2.3%
        Nov 202553.9%29.5%10.8%4%1.8%
        Dec 202550.6%33.9%10.1%3.7%1.7%
        Jan 202646.3%31.1%17%2.8%2.8%
        Feb 202649.7%27.2%18.3%2.4%2.4%
        Mar 202649.1%26.9%18.1%3%3%
        Apr 202648.8%26.8%17.9%2.9%3.6%
        May 202646.2%30.8%16.9%3.4%2.8%
        Jun 202646.2%30.8%16.9%3.4%2.8%
        Jul 202646.2%30.8%16.9%3.4%2.8%
        Aug 202642.9%35.1%15.7%3.1%3.1%
        Sep 202643.3%35.5%15.9%3.2%2.1%

        How has the Escentual and Fragrance Direct comparison changed over the last 12 months?

        3 findings

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

        2 changes

        1. In September 2026, Escentual lost share of searches among perfume retailers in the United Kingdom, from 3.1% to 2.1%.

        2. In September 2026, Fragrance Direct rose from 5th to 4th among perfume retailers in the United Kingdom.

        How are branded searches counted?

        2 search terms

        Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Escentual’s and Fragrance 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.

        Escentual

        1 branded search term

        • escentual

        Fragrance Direct

        1 branded search term

        • fragrance direct

        How the Brand Demand Index is measured

        Other head-to-heads among perfume retailers

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