How Technology is transforming Sephora?

Sephora is a beauty retailer and belongs to the LVMH group. It was founded in Paris, France in 1970 and focuses on prestigious and emerging brands across the categories make-up, fragrance, skincare, haircare and nails.

While, the beauty specialist retailers have grown at a CAGR of 6% since 2009, Sephora has outgrown the market with double digit growth. Technology plays a big part in that growth. Technologies inside the store enable Sephora to provide customers with very individual recommendations and unbiased feedback that can hardly be found in department stores or branded beauty outlets. Technology allows Sephora to capture different shopping profiles and allows to capture a large share of demand. The technologies in store and omnichannel integration transformed the previously rather offline focused beauty industry to an online platform.

Digital technologies are used to create an integrated multi-channel experience to capture most shopping preferences and thus sales. Additional to the stores, Sephora operates a mobile app and several websites. Technologies inside the stores enable customers to find products on touch screen booths via tests, such as the fragrance IQ or by scanning barcodes. The screens allow customers to read reviews, see pictures of other consumers using it, inform about ingredients, educate about uses or offer matching other products. Customers can directly sent these recommendations to their email, save them to their Beauty Insider account or print it at the booth to discuss with cast members. The same tests can be found online and offer customers the opportunity to purchase matching products through the online store