Costco vs Les Schwab:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Costco had more branded searches than Les Schwab among tire retailers in the United States. Costco had about 569,000 branded searches, while Les Schwab had 301,000. Costco made up 8.9% of all tire retailer searches we track, and Les Schwab accounted for 4.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about tire retailers, Costco appeared in all three answers and Les Schwab in two. Costco was mentioned before Les Schwab in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Costco, about 89% more searches than Les Schwab
Who does AI mention more?
Costco, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Costco, named ahead of Les Schwab in every answer
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Top tire retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, Costco appeared in all three answers. Les Schwab was mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. Costco was listed before Les Schwab in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Discount Tire1st- Costco2nd
Tire Rack3rd
Les Schwab4th
Big O Tires5th
Belle Tire–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Discount Tire3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Tire Rack3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Costco3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Les Schwab2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Big O Tires1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Belle Tire0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
See every answer about tire retailers
3 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which tire retailer should I shop at in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best tire retailers in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best tire retailer in the US for new tires?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“tire shop”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cheap tires”
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 States on October 19, 2026.
Is Costco or Les Schwab more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Costco and Les Schwab by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six tire retailers we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Costco, Les Schwab. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Discount Tire | Tire Rack | Costco | Big O Tires | Belle Tire | Les Schwab |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 59.3% | 11.9% | 10.1% | 8% | 5.3% | 5.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 63.4% | 10.4% | 8.8% | 7% | 5.7% | 4.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 62.7% | 10.3% | 8.7% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| Jan 2026 | 64.4% | 10.6% | 8.4% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Feb 2026 | 61.3% | 15% | 8% | 6.7% | 4.5% | 4.5% |
| Mar 2026 | 63.6% | 12.8% | 7.2% | 7% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Apr 2026 | 60.5% | 12.1% | 8.4% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| May 2026 | 65.1% | 10.7% | 7.4% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 4.8% |
| Jun 2026 | 66.4% | 8.9% | 7.6% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 4.9% |
| Jul 2026 | 66.4% | 8.9% | 7.6% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 4.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 64.1% | 10.5% | 8.9% | 7% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Sep 2026 | 64.1% | 10.5% | 8.9% | 7% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
How has the Costco and Les Schwab comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Costco was ahead of Les Schwab in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Costco’s share of searches among tire retailers in the United States moved from 10.1% to 8.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 696K to 569K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Les Schwab’s share of searches among tire retailers in the United States moved from 5.3% to 4.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 368K to 301K.
How did search popularity change for United States tire retailers in September 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for Costco in the United States fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 696K to 569K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Les Schwab in the United States fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 368K to 301K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Costco’s and Les Schwab’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.
Costco
2 branded search terms
- costco tire center
- costco tires
Les Schwab
1 branded search term
- les schwab
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