Second Sephora store confirmed for Auckland's Sylvia Park

The opening of Sephora's Queen Street store in July last year. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Global cosmetics giant Sephora has confirmed it will open a second store in Auckland's Sylvia Park shopping mall later this year.

While the month it will open in is yet to be set, the French retailer said the decision to open a second store following the opening of its flagship on Auckland's Queen St in July last year was due to demand.

The store opening drew crowds of shoppers, many waiting in line well in advance of its official launch at 9am on July 20.

Sylvia Park - New Zealand's largest shopping mall - has long been tipped as the likely location of the retailer's second New Zealand store.

Sephora operates more than 2500 stores worldwide.

Recruitment for the new store will begin shortly, a spokeswoman confirmed to the Herald.

"We were honoured to have had such an amazing reception for our first New Zealand store opening last year," Beth Glancey, general manager of Sephora New Zealand and Australia, said.

The opening of Sephora's Queen Street store in July last year. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

"With that opening day response, and our continued success in the region, there's no question the demand is there for a second store."

Benjamin Vuchot, Sephora president of the Asia-Pacific region, told the Herald during the Sephora's New Zealand debut last year that the retailer's Queen St store had been more than two years in the making.

He said Sephora had decided it would expand into New Zealand shortly after its launch in Australia around five years ago.

Sephora had quietly been operating an e-commerce store in New Zealand for the past three years, ahead of its physical launch.

Sephora acquired cosmetics startup Luxola based out of Singapore which had an e-commerce presence in eight markets in 2015 which propelled itself much faster into the online space in certain markets, including in New Zealand.

Sephora had plans to operate two to three stores in Auckland and others in Christchurch and Wellington, Vuchot told the Herald. Where and when these would open have been announced.