Foyles vs Topping & Company Booksellers:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Foyles had more branded searches than Topping & Company Booksellers among bookstores in the United Kingdom. Foyles had about 4,400 branded searches, while Topping & Company Booksellers had 3,400. Foyles made up 1.2% of all bookstore searches we track, and Topping & Company Booksellers accounted for 0.92%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about bookstores, Foyles and Topping & Company Booksellers each appeared in three of the four answers. Foyles was mentioned before Topping & Company Booksellers in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
Foyles, about 29% more searches than Topping & Company Booksellers
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 4 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Foyles, named ahead of Topping & Company Booksellers in 2 of 3 answers
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Top bookstores in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Foyles was mentioned in three out of four: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Topping & Company Booksellers was mentioned in three out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. Foyles was listed before Topping & Company Booksellers in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Daunt Books3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers- Foyles3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Topping & Company Booksellers3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Blackwell's2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Barter Books2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Waterstones2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
WHSmith0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about bookstores
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which bookstore should I shop at in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best bookstores in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best bookstore in the UK for a good book selection?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“bookstores uk”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“bookshop 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 19, 2026.
Is Foyles or Topping & Company Booksellers more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Foyles and Topping & Company Booksellers by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven bookstores we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Foyles, Topping & Company Booksellers. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | WHSmith | Blackwell's | Daunt Books | Barter Books | Waterstones | Foyles | Topping & Company Booksellers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 62.4% | 15.4% | 15.3% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 0.92% | 0.39% |
| Nov 2025 | 64.9% | 16% | 13% | 1.7% | 3.2% | 0.78% | 0.38% |
| Dec 2025 | 62% | 15.2% | 15.2% | 1.7% | 4.6% | 0.91% | 0.44% |
| Jan 2026 | 57.8% | 17.4% | 17.4% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1% | 0.65% |
| Feb 2026 | 50.1% | 18.4% | 22.5% | 3.7% | 3% | 1.6% | 0.75% |
| Mar 2026 | 52.8% | 19.4% | 19.4% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 1.2% | 0.68% |
| Apr 2026 | 54% | 19.9% | 16.3% | 6% | 2.2% | 0.97% | 0.67% |
| May 2026 | 52.1% | 19.2% | 19.2% | 5.8% | 2.1% | 0.93% | 0.72% |
| Jun 2026 | 47.4% | 21.3% | 21.3% | 5.2% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 44.9% | 24.6% | 20.1% | 6% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 0.92% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.4% | 23.8% | 19.5% | 8.7% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 1% |
| Sep 2026 | 44.7% | 24.5% | 20% | 6% | 2.7% | 1.2% | 0.92% |
How has the Foyles and Topping & Company Booksellers comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Foyles was ahead of Topping & Company Booksellers in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Foyles’ share of searches among bookstores in the United Kingdom moved from 0.92% to 1.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.4K to 4.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Topping & Company Booksellers’ share of searches among bookstores in the United Kingdom moved from 0.39% to 0.92%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.3K to 3.4K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom bookstores in September 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for Topping & Company Booksellers in the United Kingdom rose 46.6% over 12 measured months, from 2.3K to 3.4K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Foyles in the United Kingdom fell 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 5.4K to 4.4K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Foyles’ and Topping & Company Booksellers’ 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.
Foyles
1 branded search term
- foyles bookshop
Topping & Company Booksellers
3 branded search terms
- topping and company
- toppings books
- toppings bookshop
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