Brandwave

Bluemercury vs Sally Beauty:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Sally Beauty had more branded searches than Bluemercury among beauty retailers in the United States. Sally Beauty had about 2.2 million branded searches, while Bluemercury had 165,000. Sally Beauty made up 11.2% of all beauty retailer searches we track, and Bluemercury accounted for 0.82%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about beauty retailers, Bluemercury and Sally Beauty each appeared in one of the three answers.

Among beauty retailers in the United States in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Sally Beauty, about 14 searches for every 1 for Bluemercury

Sally Beauty 2.2M searchesBluemercury 165K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 1 of 3 answers.

Bluemercury in 1 of 3Sally Beauty in 1 of 3

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Top beauty retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, Bluemercury and Sally Beauty were each mentioned in one out of three: in one of the three ChatGPT answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Sephora1st
  2. Ulta Beauty2nd
  3. Bluemercury3rd
  4. Bath & Body Works4th
  5. Sally Beauty5th

Mentioned by AI

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

See every answer about beauty retailers

3 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.

Is Bluemercury or Sally Beauty more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Bluemercury and Sally Beauty by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five beauty retailers we track, month by month, from searches in United States.

Bluemercury and Sally Beauty among beauty retailers in the United States, by month

Share of searches by month for Sally Beauty, Bluemercury. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthUlta BeautySephoraBath & Body WorksSally BeautyBluemercury
Oct 202539.4%29.5%19.7%10.8%0.65%
Nov 202534.9%31.2%25.6%7.7%0.69%
Dec 202535.6%29%29%5.9%0.53%
Jan 202641.6%31.2%17.1%9.3%0.84%
Feb 202639.4%29.4%19.7%10.8%0.79%
Mar 202640.8%30.5%16.7%11.2%0.82%
Apr 202637.9%38.1%14%9.3%0.69%
May 202640.8%30.5%16.7%11.2%0.82%
Jun 202636.8%27.5%22.5%12.3%0.91%
Jul 202638.6%31.7%17.4%11.6%0.7%
Aug 202639.4%29.5%19.7%10.8%0.65%
Sep 202640.8%30.5%16.7%11.2%0.82%

How has the Bluemercury and Sally Beauty comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for United States beauty retailers in September 2026?

1 change

  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for Bluemercury in the United States 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 Bluemercury’s and Sally Beauty’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.

Bluemercury

1 branded search term

  • bluemercury

Sally Beauty

1 branded search term

  • sally beauty

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among beauty retailers

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