Hikoco vs Sephora:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Hikoco had more branded searches than Sephora among beauty retailers in New Zealand. Hikoco had about 52,800 branded searches, while Sephora had 23,600. Hikoco made up 6% of all beauty retailer searches we track, and Sephora accounted for 2.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about beauty retailers, Sephora appeared in three of the four answers and Hikoco in two. Sephora was mentioned before Hikoco in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Hikoco, about 2 searches for every 1 for Sephora
Who does AI mention more?
Sephora, mentioned in 3 of 4 answers, Hikoco in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Sephora, named ahead of Hikoco in 2 of 2 answers
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Top beauty retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Sephora was mentioned in three out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. Hikoco was mentioned in two out of four: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. Sephora was listed before Hikoco in every answer that named either.
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.
MECCA4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Chemist Warehouse3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers- Sephora3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Hikoco2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Adore Beauty1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Stylevana0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
YesStyle0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Beauty Bliss0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Cult Beauty0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Lookfantastic0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about beauty retailers
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which beauty retailer should I shop at in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best beauty retailers in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best beauty retailer in New Zealand for skin care and makeup?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best beauty stores”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“makeup shop nz”
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 New Zealand on October 19, 2026.
Is Hikoco or Sephora more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Hikoco and Sephora by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten beauty retailers we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Hikoco, Sephora. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Chemist Warehouse | MECCA | Hikoco | Sephora | Stylevana | YesStyle | Adore Beauty | Beauty Bliss | Cult Beauty | Lookfantastic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 81% | 8.8% | 5.6% | 3% | 0.37% | 0.46% | 0.46% | 0.13% | 0.13% | 0.06% |
| Nov 2025 | 79.3% | 10.2% | 5.4% | 3.5% | 0.37% | 0.37% | 0.55% | 0.2% | 0.11% | 0.04% |
| Dec 2025 | 75.8% | 14.1% | 5.3% | 3.3% | 0.34% | 0.41% | 0.51% | 0.12% | 0.07% | 0.05% |
| Jan 2026 | 80% | 9.9% | 5.6% | 2.8% | 0.52% | 0.42% | 0.42% | 0.15% | 0.08% | 0.04% |
| Feb 2026 | 78.2% | 12.1% | 5.6% | 2.9% | 0.34% | 0.43% | 0.34% | 0.12% | 0.06% | 0.04% |
| Mar 2026 | 80.5% | 8.4% | 6.4% | 2.8% | 0.52% | 0.52% | 0.52% | 0.15% | 0.06% | 0.04% |
| Apr 2026 | 78.5% | 9.8% | 7.3% | 2.8% | 0.42% | 0.51% | 0.42% | 0.15% | 0.07% | 0.04% |
| May 2026 | 80.5% | 8.4% | 6.4% | 2.9% | 0.43% | 0.52% | 0.52% | 0.15% | 0.05% | 0.04% |
| Jun 2026 | 80.9% | 8.4% | 6.2% | 2.9% | 0.53% | 0.53% | 0.43% | 0.16% | 0.05% | 0.04% |
| Jul 2026 | 79.1% | 10% | 6.3% | 2.8% | 0.51% | 0.51% | 0.42% | 0.15% | 0.05% | 0.05% |
| Aug 2026 | 79.4% | 10% | 6.1% | 2.8% | 0.52% | 0.52% | 0.42% | 0.19% | 0.06% | 0.05% |
| Sep 2026 | 80% | 9.6% | 6% | 2.7% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.41% | 0.18% | 0.07% | 0.04% |
How has the Hikoco and Sephora comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Hikoco was ahead of Sephora in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hikoco’s share of searches among beauty retailers in New Zealand moved from 5.6% to 6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 54.2K to 52.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sephora’s share of searches among beauty retailers in New Zealand moved from 3% to 2.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 28.6K to 23.6K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand beauty retailers in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for Sephora in New Zealand fell 17.5% over 12 measured months, from 28.6K to 23.6K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
9 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hikoco’s and Sephora’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.
Other head-to-heads among beauty retailers
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