Sephora – Be your own Beauty Advisor

As one of the biggest international beauty stores, Sephora has managed to surpass retailers by increasing the number of engaged online and instore customers. After winning the 2017 The World Retail Congress’s International Retailer of the Year, the company has been able to enhance the in-store retail experience by letting customers take the in-store experience home with them. “Sephora has more than 20 million customers that shop and interact with the brand with thousands of products and 100 brand partners who bring these products to life (Forte, D. (2017)”. Now all of these customers have the ultimate online shopping experience.

The Sephora app has created a new way for customers to try on makeup without even entering the store. Customers can sit at home and become their own virtual artist. Bridget Dolan, Vice President of Sephora’s Innovation Lab said,“ We hear all the time that our clients wish they could try on every lipstick we carry to find the right shade for them (Evans, K. (2017)”. Now that reality is possible.

With Sephora’s Virtual Artist, customers can try on almost every lipstick shade, scan their face for a Colour IQ, try on fake eyelashes, and take classes to contour their cheekbones (Holson, L M.(2017). “In the first three months in North America, the Virtual Artist grew to 3.4 million visits and 753,000 basket items (Harmeet, S. (2017).”The app also lets customers explore their own beauty journey. You can view customers reviews, join the Sephora Vlog, and even post your own looks.

Lessons for Others

The ability to try on multiple products and brands has allowed customers to explore products they may have never even considered before. “Brand loyalty is out, replaced by Sephora’s try-more-buy-more ethos. Friends hold as much sway these days as trained experts (Holson, L M.(2017).” Sephora’s mobile app also can also be used in-store. In this mode, a consumer can access their Beauty Insider account and scan a product to read its online reviews and view ratings. Giving customers, the virtual retail experience has created a long-term loyalty that will always have them coming back. Whether its for the same holy grail product, or to try something new, the Sephora app will be waiting for you.

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