Contact Lens King vs Costco:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Costco had more branded searches than Contact Lens King among contact lens retailers in the United States. Costco had about 160,000 branded searches, while Contact Lens King had 18,100. Costco made up 19.3% of all contact lens retailer searches we track, and Contact Lens King accounted for 2.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about contact lens retailers, Costco appeared in all five answers and Contact Lens King in three. Costco was mentioned before Contact Lens King in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Costco, about 9 searches for every 1 for Contact Lens King
Who does AI mention more?
Costco, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Costco, named ahead of Contact Lens King in 4 of 5 answers
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Top contact lens retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Costco appeared in all five answers. Contact Lens King was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Costco was listed before Contact Lens King in four out of five 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.
1-800 Contacts5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Costco5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Contacts Direct5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
LensDirect3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Contact Lens King3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Hubble0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about contact lens retailers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where should I order contact lenses online in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best places to buy contacts online in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the cheapest place to buy contact lenses online in the US?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“contact lenses online”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“buy contacts online”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.
Is Contact Lens King or Costco more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Contact Lens King and Costco by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six contact lens retailers we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Costco, Contact Lens King. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | 1-800 Contacts | Costco | Contacts Direct | Hubble | LensDirect | Contact Lens King |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 64.8% | 20.5% | 4.3% | 5.2% | 2.9% | 2.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 65.4% | 20.7% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 2.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 65.6% | 20.7% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 2% |
| Jan 2026 | 65.4% | 20.6% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 68.7% | 18.7% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 70.3% | 18.1% | 4% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 67.9% | 20.4% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 2% |
| May 2026 | 69.8% | 18.1% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 2.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 70.4% | 17.3% | 3.6% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 2% |
| Jul 2026 | 68.8% | 19.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 70.8% | 18.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 67.8% | 19.3% | 4% | 4% | 2.7% | 2.2% |
How has the Contact Lens King and Costco comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Costco was ahead of Contact Lens King in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Contact Lens King’s share of searches among contact lens retailers in the United States moved from 2.3% to 2.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 18.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Costco’s share of searches among contact lens retailers in the United States moved from 20.5% to 19.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 160K.
How did search popularity change for United States contact lens retailers in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Costco gained share of searches among contact lens retailers in the United States, from 18.3% to 19.3%.
In September 2026, Contact Lens King fell from 5th to 6th among contact lens retailers in the United States.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Contact Lens King’s and Costco’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.
Contact Lens King
1 branded search term
- contact lens king
Costco
2 branded search terms
- costco contacts
- costco optical
Other head-to-heads among contact lens retailers
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