John Lewis vs Sonic Direct:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, John Lewis had more branded searches than Sonic Direct among appliance retailers in the United Kingdom. John Lewis had about 12,100 branded searches, while Sonic Direct had 9,900. John Lewis made up 2.1% of all appliance retailer searches we track, and Sonic Direct accounted for 1.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about appliance retailers, John Lewis appeared in all five answers and Sonic Direct in none.
Who do people search for more?
John Lewis, about 22% more searches than Sonic Direct
Who does AI mention more?
John Lewis, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
John Lewis, the only one of the two named
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Top appliance retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, John Lewis appeared in all five answers. Sonic Direct did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- John Lewis1st
AO2nd
Currys3rd
Argos4th
Appliances Direct5th
Marks Electrical6th
Euronics6th
Hughes–
Sonic Direct–
Appliance City–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Currys5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- John Lewis5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- AO4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Argos3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Appliances Direct1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Marks Electrical1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Euronics1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Hughes0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Sonic Direct0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Appliance City0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about appliance retailers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where's the best place to buy a washing machine in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which UK retailers are best for buying kitchen appliances?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Where should I buy a new fridge freezer in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“washing machines”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“fridge freezers”
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 John Lewis or Sonic Direct more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for John Lewis and Sonic Direct by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten appliance retailers we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for John Lewis, Sonic Direct. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | AO | Currys | Appliances Direct | Marks Electrical | Euronics | Argos | Hughes | John Lewis | Sonic Direct | Appliance City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 19.4% | 23.6% | 15.9% | 13% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 14.6% | 24% | 17.9% | 14.6% | 8% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 2.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 14.4% | 23.6% | 17.7% | 14.4% | 9.7% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 2.9% | 3.5% | 1.9% |
| Jan 2026 | 13.7% | 27.5% | 16.8% | 11.2% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 5% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 16.3% | 24.2% | 16.3% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 8.9% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 1.8% |
| Mar 2026 | 38.6% | 19% | 11.6% | 7.8% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 1.6% | 1.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 35% | 21% | 12.8% | 8.6% | 7% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 18.5% | 24.7% | 18.5% | 12.4% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 3.7% | 3% | 2.5% | 1.6% |
| Jun 2026 | 14.4% | 21.4% | 26.3% | 14.4% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 1.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 21.4% | 22.3% | 21.4% | 11.8% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 46.6% | 17% | 11.5% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 4.2% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 1% |
| Sep 2026 | 43.2% | 19.3% | 10.6% | 8.7% | 5.8% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.2% |
John Lewis sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “john lewis washing machines”.
How has the John Lewis and Sonic Direct comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Sonic Direct took it in November 2025, John Lewis took it in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, John Lewis’ share of searches among appliance retailers in the United Kingdom moved from 3.2% to 2.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 14.8K to 12.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sonic Direct’s share of searches among appliance retailers in the United Kingdom moved from 2.1% to 1.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 9.9K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom appliance retailers in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for John Lewis in the United Kingdom fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 14.8K to 12.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using John Lewis’ and Sonic 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.
John Lewis
1 branded search term
- john lewis washing machines
Sonic Direct
1 branded search term
- sonic direct
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