Sephora: 8 Tricks To Keep A Brand Thriving While Others Fail
'17.11.2022'
Source: Adme
Amid the problems faced by other cosmetic brands in the United States, the company's success is particularly surprising.
Learn 8 chips that help Sephora increase volumes and sell us more and more cosmetics, offers Adme.ru.
Brand doesn't care what it's called
Sephora was founded in 1969 in France. In the country of birth, the brand, of course, is called with an accent on the last syllable - Sephora. However, at the turn of the 2000s, he came to the USA and Canada, and the French pronunciation did not take root there, the Americans speak exclusively “Sephora”. The leaders of the company have repeatedly stated: they do not care how people "hit" the brand. This is quite atypical - usually firms scrupulously monitor such things and try not to allow discrepancies.
Sephora Updates Traditional Marketing Tricks
According to the marketing tradition, Sephora exposes the most expensive cosmetics at the eye level of buyers, so that it is noticed first. For cheap goods you need to stoop to the lower shelves. Any product is laid out with a large margin so that the buyer himself can find a sealed package of cream or shadows that he liked in the sampler, and did not ask the consultant to bring them from the warehouse. In the area near the cash desks are the cheapest products in miniatures. But there is a catch.
A significant part of the cosmetics at the retailer is cheaper to buy in large portions. For example, a large can of Instagram masks popular at Instagram costs about $ 60, and a thumbnail costs $ 25. But in terms of 100 grams, a product in a large package is more profitable. Therefore, experienced Sephora customers are advised to always recount the price.
On the subject: What cosmetics should be taken from the USA, and which is better not to spend money on: personal experience
Retailer actively exploits exclusivity
Some popular beauty brands are exclusive to Sephora. This makes customers come back for new products from their favorite brands that can not be found anywhere else. In addition, the company produces limited series of products, and they also attract buyers with exclusivity.
And the brand has its own product line. According to consumer reviews, this cosmetics is not very high quality or especially low price, that is, it can not compete with more experienced manufacturers. Sephora needs it exclusively to build brand loyalty.
At Sephora, almost every product is tried on
Unlike its competitors, Sephora offers samples of almost all of its products. And in the brand's outlets there are kiosks with makeup removers and wipes, which customers can use for free. Because of this, buyers linger in the store for a long time testing cosmetics. And this significantly increases sales: according to research, the time spent in the store is directly proportional to the likelihood of a purchase. Simply put, the longer a customer looks at and tries cosmetics, the higher the chance that he will buy something.
On the subject: How to test cosmetics in the store, so as not to get infected
The company takes into account the needs of introverts
Sephora introduced the color differentiation of shopping carts and thus solved the problem with annoying consultants. By taking the red basket, the buyer makes it clear to the store employee that he needs help, and by taking the gray one, there is no need to approach him. The chip turned out to be so cool that even competing brands recognized it: “I work for Ulta. We can never please! When we offer help, people get mad at us. When we don’t approach customers, the next day we see a negative review, which says that there was no one in the store to help.”
Sephora watches its customers
The company has a very smart mobile application. It collects statistical data about its customers, identifies their needs and offers relevant products. Thus, the brand found out that 70% of people make a purchase within 24 hours from the moment they put the product in the basket. During this time, the application will actively remind you of the saved products.
In addition, the application collects data about customers directly in the store (if, of course, geolocation is enabled on the smartphone), and then analyzes the purchases made. As planned by the developers, the virtual assistant should replace the Sephora sales representative. This is another way to keep real communication to a minimum.
On the subject: Personal experience: how I did not buy clothes and cosmetics for 9 months, and what came of it
Artificial intelligence helps sell cosmetics
The brand is actively using the capabilities of artificial intelligence to increase sales. Sephora has developed a special Color IQ system that recognizes skin type from a photograph and assigns it a four-digit number. With its help, it is easier to choose a tonal tool in the store. The application does not work very efficiently and does not always give the right result, but it stimulates sales very well.
Another recent development is the virtual artist. You can upload a photo to the application and “try on” any makeup on it, and then put the products with which it was created into the basket. Given that there are a huge number of applications in which you can “draw” makeup, it becomes obvious that the Sephora virtual artist also solves only marketing problems.
In your opinion, which Sephora feature helps the brand the most?
