H&M vs M&S:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, H&M had more branded searches than M&S among clothing shops in the United Kingdom. H&M had about 1.8 million branded searches, while M&S had 165,000. H&M made up 8% of all clothing shop searches we track, and M&S accounted for 0.72%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about clothing shops, M&S appeared in two of the three answers and H&M in one. M&S was mentioned before H&M in every answer that named either.
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Top clothing shops in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, M&S was mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. H&M was mentioned in one out of three: in one of the three ChatGPT answers. M&S was listed before H&M in every answer that named either.
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.
Primark2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Uniqlo2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
M&S2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
George2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
TK Maxx1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Next1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
H&M1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Zara1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Matalan0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
New Look0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
See every answer about clothing shops
3 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where's the best place to buy cheap clothes in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which high street shop has the best quality basics?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Where should I buy kids' clothes in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“clothes shops”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026.
Is H&M or M&S more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for H&M and M&S by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 clothing shops we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for H&M, M&S. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Primark | TK Maxx | Next | H&M | Matalan | Zara | New Look | River Island | Uniqlo | Tu | Peacocks | F&F | M&S | George | Mango |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 24.9% | 16.6% | 6.5% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 0.82% | 0.55% | 0.65% | 0.06% |
| Nov 2025 | 22% | 17.9% | 7% | 8% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 3% | 3% | 0.88% | 0.59% | 0.66% | 0.05% |
| Dec 2025 | 22.6% | 18.5% | 7.2% | 6.8% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 0.61% | 0.5% | 0.59% | 0.05% |
| Jan 2026 | 21.3% | 17.4% | 8.3% | 7.8% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 2.9% | 2.3% | 0.7% | 0.57% | 0.64% | 0.08% |
| Feb 2026 | 23.6% | 19.3% | 7.5% | 7% | 8.6% | 8.6% | 7% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 0.63% | 0.52% | 0.76% | 0.07% |
| Mar 2026 | 24.4% | 16.3% | 7.8% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 7.3% | 5.9% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 0.8% | 0.66% | 0.68% | 0.07% |
| Apr 2026 | 23.9% | 16% | 7.6% | 7.2% | 10.7% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 5.8% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 0.79% | 0.53% | 0.67% | 0.09% |
| May 2026 | 21.8% | 17.9% | 6.9% | 8% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 8% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.88% | 0.59% | 0.74% | 0.08% |
| Jun 2026 | 23.2% | 15.5% | 8.9% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 10.4% | 7% | 5.7% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 0.76% | 0.63% | 0.65% | 0.08% |
| Jul 2026 | 23.5% | 15.7% | 9% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 8.6% | 7% | 5.7% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 0.77% | 0.77% | 0.66% | 0.07% |
| Aug 2026 | 26.1% | 17.5% | 8.2% | 7.8% | 9.6% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.86% | 0.7% | 0.68% | 0.05% |
| Sep 2026 | 26.7% | 17.8% | 10.2% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 2% | 0.88% | 0.72% | 0.7% | 0.06% |
M&S sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “marks and spencer clothing”.
How has the H&M and M&S comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- H&M was ahead of M&S in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, H&M’s share of searches among clothing shops in the United Kingdom moved from 7.4% to 8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.8M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, M&S’s share of searches among clothing shops in the United Kingdom moved from 0.55% to 0.72%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 135K to 165K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom clothing shops in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, H&M rose from 5th to 4th among clothing shops in the United Kingdom.
Estimated monthly branded searches for M&S in the United Kingdom rose 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 135K to 165K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using H&M’s and M&S’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.
Other head-to-heads among clothing shops
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