Howdens vs Tapi:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Tapi had more branded searches than Howdens among flooring retailers in the United Kingdom. Tapi had about 113,000 branded searches, while Howdens had 4,400. Tapi made up 62.5% of all flooring retailer searches we track, and Howdens accounted for 2.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about flooring retailers, Tapi appeared in two of the three answers and Howdens in one.
Follow Howdens vs Tapi and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top flooring retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, Tapi was mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. Howdens was mentioned in one out of three: in one of the three ChatGPT answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Tapi2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Flooring Superstore1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Direct Wood Flooring1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Howdens1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Walls and Floors0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
B&Q0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Leader Floors0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
See every answer about flooring retailers
3 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where's the best place to buy flooring in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which UK shop is best for buying carpet and having it fitted?”
- 1Tapi
- 1
Asked ChatGPT
“Where can I buy good quality engineered wood flooring online in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“flooring”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“carpet shops near me”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
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 Howdens or Tapi more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Howdens and Tapi by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven flooring retailers we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Tapi, Howdens. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Tapi | Flooring Superstore | Direct Wood Flooring | Walls and Floors | B&Q | Howdens | Leader Floors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 62.4% | 19.1% | 4.7% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 1.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 62% | 18.2% | 5.4% | 6.7% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 1.6% |
| Dec 2025 | 58.5% | 21% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 4.2% | 2.3% | 1.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 60.6% | 17.8% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 1.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 58.6% | 20.2% | 6% | 7.4% | 4% | 2.7% | 1.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 61.7% | 18.1% | 5.4% | 6.6% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 63.4% | 18.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 3.7% | 2% | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 58.6% | 21.1% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 4.2% | 2.3% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 61.6% | 18.1% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 1.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 59.2% | 21.3% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 1% |
| Aug 2026 | 62% | 18.2% | 6.7% | 5.4% | 4.5% | 2.4% | 0.88% |
| Sep 2026 | 62.5% | 18.3% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 2.4% | 0.89% |
Howdens sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “howdens flooring”.
How has the Howdens and Tapi comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Tapi was ahead of Howdens in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Howdens’ share of searches among flooring retailers in the United Kingdom moved from 2.5% to 2.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.4K to 4.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Tapi’s share of searches among flooring retailers in the United Kingdom moved from 62.4% to 62.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 132K to 113K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom flooring retailers in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Tapi gained share of searches among flooring retailers in the United Kingdom, from 62% to 62.5%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Howdens 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?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Howdens’ and Tapi’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 flooring retailers
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.