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Tag: Sephora

  • Sephora reveals final four cities on ‘Beauty Bus’ tour

    Sephora reveals final four cities on ‘Beauty Bus’ tour

    Sephora has announced Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton and Auckland as the final four cities to be visited by the retailer’s double-decker ‘Beauty Bus’ in July.

    The Beauty Bus will feature Sephora’s own products, as well as Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, tarte, Huda Beauty, Marc Jacobs Beauty on-board, but the products will not be available for purchase.

    “The Sephora Beauty Bus is all about the Sephora experience,” Sephora national artistry lead Alphie Sadsad said.

    “We have an online presence in New Zealand via our online store and app already, so this tour is all about letting our customers swatch, try and play with the products they’ve never seen in person.

    “Come in, try something new and then shop the full Sephora assortment online if you liked what you tried. It’s a whole new way of shopping, and we are excited for New Zealand to be the first to experience it.”

    Wrapped in Sephora’s white and black stripes, the 11-metre bus also offers custom-built makeup stations manned by Sephora makeup artists.

    The Beauty Bus is traveling around New Zealand next month in anticipation of the retailer’s first store in the country, set to open on Queen Street in Auckland in early July.

    The locations of the bus tour were chosen in the retailer’s ‘bring Sephora to your town’ competition, which encouraged Kiwis to vote for the chance to have the bus visit their town.

    While the brand has been tightlipped about its store launch, it is believed to be part of a larger push into the Asia market, which will also see stores opening in Korea and Hong Kong.

    Sephora Asia president Benjamin Vuchot has earlier said New Zealand will be a key market in building the Sephora brand in Asia.

    “This expansion to a new market will allow Sephora to continue to amplify global beauty trends locally, elevate what our clients expect of the in-store experience and bring fresh, digital touch points to the retail environment,” Vuchot said.

    Sephora Beauty Bus locations and dates:

    • Cathedral Square, Christchurch – 12 to 4 pm, 6 July
    • Northlands Mall, Christchurch – 12 to 4 pm, 7 July
    • Oldins Plaza, Wellington Waterfront – 12 to 4 pm, 10 and 11 July
    • Garden Place, Hamilton – 12 to 4 pm, 13 July
    • The Base, Hamilton – 12 to 4 pm, 14 July
    • Sylvia Park, Auckland – 12 to 4 pm, 17 July
    • The Viaduct, Auckland – 12 to 4 pm, 18 July
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  • Sephora New Zealand flagship opening in July

    Sephora New Zealand flagship opening in July

    Sephora has said its first New Zealand flagship store will be opened in July – though it stopped short of confirming an exact date.

    The beauty retailer revealed the detail on its social media channels on Wednesday morning, telling Kiwis to cancel their holiday plans in anticipation of the launch.

    Sephora has remained tight-lipped on details of the incoming Auckland store, although it is understood it will be located on Queen Street and is part of a larger push into Asia that will see Hong Kong and Korea added to the brand’s retail locations.

    Sephora managing director for Southeast Asia Alia Gogi also confirmed that the brand would be touring the New Zealand countryside by way of a ‘Beauty Bus’, giving Kiwis outside of Auckland an opportunity to interact with the brand.

    The bus will be touring across five cities including Auckland, though the other cities have not been decided.

    Sephora Asia president Benjamin Vuchot has earlier said New Zealand will be a key market in building the Sephora brand in Asia.

    “This expansion to a new market will allow Sephora to continue to amplify global beauty trends locally, elevate what our clients expect of the in-store experience and bring fresh, digital touch points to the retail environment,” Vuchot said.

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  • Sephora confirms Auckland Flagship Opening This Year

    Sephora confirms Auckland Flagship Opening This Year

    Beauty retailer Sephora has confirmed long-standing rumors of an Auckland flagship set to open on Queen Street in 2019. While the retailer launched a local online offering in 2015, the bricks-and-mortar location will be Sephora’s first in New Zealand and is part of a larger push into Asia that will see Hong Kong and Korea added to the brand’s retail locations.

    “We believe that New Zealand will be a key market in building Sephora as the most loved beauty community in Asia, and the world,” said the president of Sephora Asia Benjamin Vuchot.

    “This expansion to a new market will allow Sephora to continue to amplify global beauty trends locally, elevate what our clients expect of the in-store experience and bring fresh, digital touch points to the retail environment to create a virtual, client-centric cycle.”

    Prior to its official announcement earlier this week, Sephora posted a series of job ads on Seek in April, looking for assistant store managers, category coordinators, stockroom managers and supervisors to fill out the Auckland flagship.

    The positions all indicated that prospective employees would need to be available for a recruitment event between May 7 and 8, pointing to an opening in the near future.

    Sephora interim general manager of Australia and New Zealand Pedro Coutinho said the store would be a beauty destination “like no other.”

    “We are so excited to introduce our renowned service offering, a suite of the most sought after beauty brands from around the world and a fun place for our clients to experience and explore their own beauty journey,” Coutinho said.

    “The Sephora client is the future – our customers are ahead of the trends, up to date with the latest brands and they want new products, now. We’ve listened to what our online clients want from Sephora, and this new Auckland location will help us deliver it.”

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  • Sephora Hong Kong plans Eight More Store Openings

    Sephora Hong Kong plans Eight More Store Openings

    Sephora Hong Kong has confirmed not one, but eight stores in its return to brick-and-mortar retailing in the territory – but shoppers will have to wait until August for the first outlet to open.

    As previously reported, the LVMH-owned chain will open a 4200sqft store in IFC Mall after a 10-year absence from the city.

    In an announcement confirming its plans, Sephora Hong Kong says it will open a second store at Windsor House in Causeway Bay in the fourth quarter of this year and expand its online offer.  Six more stores will follow over a three-year timeframe, their locations as yet not revealed.

    In a statement, Benjamin Vuchot, president of Sephora Asia, said the company currently operates in 12 countries and during the next three years sees its retail presence expanding by almost 50 per cent across Asia.

    “Hong Kong, being strategically located in the Greater Bay Area, allows us to meet the growing demands from Hong Kong consumers, as well as tourists from Mainland China and Southeast Asia,” he said.

    “We believe that Hong Kong will be a key market … giving Sephora the opportunity to amplify global beauty trends locally, elevate the in-store retail experience and to bring in digital touch points within the brick-and-mortar format to create a virtuous customer centric cycle.”

    Sephora said the retail landscape in Hong Kong has changed significantly over the 10 years since Sephora last had a store there.

    “Conventional retail with a physical presence has proven higher chances of winning in a market with strong digital development. Moreover, the re-launch of Sephora brings to Hong Kong’s department store-focused retail landscape a much-needed prestige retail chain for an authentic omni-channel experience,” the statement said.

    Sephora Hong Kong plans to make beauty “more personalised, fun and interactive” upon its return, allowing customers “the freedom to experience products that work for them, learn tips and tricks, as well as to have access to unbiased beauty services from beauty advisors”.

    The company plans more than 40 brands of cosmetics exclusive to Sephora stores in the city, along with its own in-house label Sephora Collection. It has promised to include local Hong Kong brands in its offer as well, over time.

    Digital innovation will play an integral role in Sephora’s traditional retail experience, with vending machines to be located in stores to support the Beauty Pass loyalty program, an app powered by member insights to drive seamless customer service, a digital skincare consultation for immediate and accurate recommendations, and the opportunity to go online to book in-store makeovers.

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  • Sephora heads to Seoul, Korea

    Sephora heads to Seoul, Korea

    LVMH-owned cosmetics retailer Sephora will launch its first outlet in South Korea this October.

    The first Sephora South Korea retail space will take up 547sqft in Gangnam, featuring hundreds of brands as well as home-brand products under the Sephora label.

    “Sephora will contribute to expanding the local beauty market by proposing a new standard,” said Sephora Korea CEO Kim Dong-ju.

    The Sephora South Korea store will be the first of six planned to be trading by next year, along with an online store.

    Sephora operates more than 3000 outlets worldwide and has a strong presence in Asia. It also plans to make a return to Hong Kong soon, opening in space at IFC mall.

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  • Sephora opening New Zealand Flagship Store

    Sephora opening New Zealand Flagship Store

    Sephora is looking to fill a number of retail roles in Auckland, suggesting the beauty retailer is looking to open its first bricks-and-mortar store in New Zealand in the near future.

    Listings for assistant store manager, category coordinator, stockroom manager, supervisor, beauty and studio artists and retail assistants have been uploaded to job site Seek over the last month, claiming the retailer is opening its first New Zealand flagship store this year.

    The most recent listing notes that job seekers should be available and flexible to attend a recruitment event between May 7 and 8, pointing to a relatively quick opening window.

    The store will likely be located on Queen Street, Auckland, and is currently being fit out for the brand’s arrival. An internal elevator, lightning fixtures and elaborate signage are among the changes being made to the site.

    Sephora has been contacted for confirmation, but has not yet responded.

  • Sephora Hong Kong Reopening Soon

    Sephora Hong Kong Reopening Soon

    Makeup superstore Sephora has confirmed its widely anticipated return to Hong Kong in physical store form.

    The LVMH-owned cosmetics retailer will sublease a 4000sqft space in the Zara store at IFC Mall in Central, nine years after it closed its last store in the territory.

    Despite its physical absence in the market, Sephora Hong Kong has continued to sell products online to loyal customers.

    The last Sephora Hong Kong store traded for just two years in Mong Kok, closing in 2010. At the time, retail commentators said the brand failed due to poor store location, lacklustre marketing and high rents.

    Sephora is popular in Mainland China and has stores across Southeast Asia trading profitably, especially in Singapore and Malaysia.

    According to news reports in Chinese media, Sephora has subleased the space from Zara for HK$2 million (US$254,800) per month.

  • Strong growth for LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton

    Strong growth for LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton

    LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton boosted revenues by 10 per cent to €33.1 billion in the first nine months of this year.

    Organic sales grew 11 per cent compared to the same period last year and by 13 per cent after excluding the impact of the closed DFS concessions at Hong Kong International Airport at the end of the year. Every geographic market performed well, the company said. Third quarter revenue was up 10 per cent.

    The wines & spirits business group recorded organic revenue growth of 7 per cent during the first nine months, with Champagne volumes stable and Hennessy cognac volumes increased by 4 per cent, led by the US and Chinese markets.

    The fashion & leather goods business group achieved organic revenue growth of 14 per cent and 20 per cent reported, with the flagship Louis Vuitton brand the standout performer.

    “Ready-to-wear and shoes, in particular, experienced strong momentum with an excellent reception of the last two fashion shows of womenswear and menswear,” the company said in a statement.  “A new communication for Louis Vuitton perfumes was unveiled, marking the launch of the brand’s latest perfume creation. Christian Dior, consolidated since the second half of last year, enjoyed an excellent performance.

    Celine made progress and began a new chapter in its history with the first runway show of Hedi Slimane, which was a great success and created enormous resonance. Fendi and Loro Piana continued to grow. The other brands continued to strengthen,” the company said.

    LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s perfumes & cosmetics business group recorded organic revenue growth of 14 per cent, driven in particular by the performance of its star brands Christian Dior, Guerlain and Givenchy.

    The watches & jewellery business group achieved organic revenue growth of 14 per cent, with Bulgari delivering “an excellent performance and gaining market share”.

    The selective retailing business group achieved organic revenue growth of 8 per cent in the first nine months of 2018, and 14 per cent excluding the airport concession closures in Hong Kong.

    Sephora’s organic revenue growth was strong, particularly in North America and Asia. The expansion and renovation of its distribution network is continuing with a new store concept in China and the first Sephora-branded store in Russia.

    “DFS performed well, especially in Hong Kong and Macao. The recent openings of T Galleria in Cambodia and Italy progressed well.”

    The company said that in an “uncertain geopolitical and monetary context, LVMH will continue to be vigilant” in the months ahead.

  • Sephora’s new omni-channel retail concept for China

    Sephora’s new omni-channel retail concept for China

    French cosmetic retailer Sephora unveiled plans for new retail experience in China on August 31, coinciding the announcement with news of its next Chinese brand ambassador.

    Sephora announced its new concept “My Beauty Power Turn It On” at a press conference at the Shanghai Film Plaza late last month, saying the initiative is designed to help shoppers discover an individual and unique beauty, “and rediscover, lead
    and create a new meaning of beauty that is distinct to them.”

    The make-up brand introduced its new Sephora mini program, offering a new experience of omni-channel social retailing to Chinese shoppers.

    Increasing the Millennial appeal, Z.TAO, a famous Chinese singer and actor, was also named a brand ambassador.

    “This is an attempt by Sephora to embrace Chinese social culture and become the first comprehensive vertical beauty retailer to offer a full social shopping experience,” said Sephora China, in a statement.

    Sephora’s first ‘Asian New Concept Store’ will be rolled out in Shanghai in September.

    “The fully upgraded Asian New Concept Store will give every consumer a chance to confidently create their own beauty power,” said Sephora.“We believe that the unrelenting pursuit of beauty, the constant exploration and leadership in beauty trends, along with the continuous innovation of experiential sales are the best ways for Sephora to fulfill its commitment to Chinese consumers.”

    Sephora currently has 228 physical stores in China, covering 74 cities.

    The French retailer also operates a Sephora app and official website in China, as well as its Tmall flagship store and JD flagship store.

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  • DFS stores launches Meitu Magic Mirrors

    DFS stores launches Meitu Magic Mirrors

    DFS stores in 16 international cities – including Hong Kong and Macau – will be featuring Meitu Magic Mirrors for the next year.

    The connected device allows customers to see their desired makeup style applied directly to their face, just as if they were standing in front of a mirror. An AI algorithm is used to make personalised recommendations based on customers’ facial features. Photos taken by the device can be shared on social media.

    The Meitu Magic Mirrors will be installed in 22 stores, in cities including Macau, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, the UAE and the US.

    According to reports, the effect is true-to-life and product colours and textures are accurately displayed. It is designed to drastically lower the time shoppers spend trying out products, while preventing sanitary concerns that can arise when sampling items in a public venue.

    Previously, the Meitu Magic Mirror has been used to promote Lancome, Nars Cosmetics, Make Up Forever, Sephora, and Dolce & Gabbana.

    Meitu is a Chinese AI-driven photo/video editing and sharing company that also produces smartphones.

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  • Memebox and Sephora partner on ecommerce

    Memebox and Sephora partner on ecommerce

    Memebox signed a partnership deal with global beauty giant Sephora to expand its global presence in the ecommerce scene and develop a joint brand due for release this autumn, according to Formation Group on Monday.

    The achievement comes only six years after the local beauty company launched as a small start-up in Korea. It now has offices in five regions around the world including Pangyo, Gyeonggi and San Francisco.

    Formation Group is a venture capital firm and a stakeholder in Memebox.

    One goal of the partnership with Sephora, a global beauty retailer owned by LVMH Group with operations in 33 countries, is to expand Memebox’s global ecommerce site that recently re-opened after being closed down last year.

    Memebox launched in the United States in 2014 as an online store offering K-beauty products. Last year, it halted the global ecommerce website with an aim of developing an online community where consumers can exchange know-how and reviews on beauty products.

    The website has more than five million users per month uploading videos and tips.

    However, the ecommerce site was re-launched in June. “We decided the timing had come to develop a competitive edge with our own ecommerce platform, now that the awareness and credibility regarding Korean beauty brands has greatly improved in the United States,” said Memebox CEO Ha Hyung-seok.

    The launch also gave U.S. consumers access to Memebox’s in-house brands: Pony Effect, I Dew Care and Nooni.

    One of Memebox’s strengths is the accumulated data from its community which has more than 30,000 product reviews from people of different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. In a beauty market where trends change fast, an up-to-date database of consumers is a big asset not only in terms of marketing, but also for fast product development.

    Another apparent result of the collaboration between Memebox and Sephora is scheduled to come this autumn: a color cosmetics brand for which details have not yet been revealed.

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  • Sephora top executive named CEO of Lululemon

    Sephora top executive named CEO of Lululemon

    Calvin McDonald has been named CEO of Lululemon, replacing Laurent Potdevin, who was ousted earlier this year amid allegations of conduct violations.

    The Canadian-born McDonald earned his MBA at the University of Toronto and prior to joining Sephora in 2013, he spent two years as president and CEO of Sears Canada and 17 years in various roles with Loblaw Companies Ltd.

    Vancouver-based clothing company Lululemon’s stock jumped almost 80 percent in the past year. Analysts say it is one of the bright spots in apparel retail and in May, despite having no CEO, the firm reported a net revenue rise of 23 percent from the previous year, to $649.7 million in the first quarter.

    “I’m joining lululemon at an exciting time, with the brand’s strong business momentum, guest loyalty and passionate employees,” McDonald said in a statement.

    McDonald helped Sephora become a “mobile-first” brand during his time there, and he is expected to bring the same mindset and focus to Lululemon.

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  • Sephora plans expansion in India, marks fifth store in Mumbai

    Sephora plans expansion in India, marks fifth store in Mumbai

    Sephora opened its doors at Oberoi Mall, Goregaon, Mumbai recently. Spread across 3,130 square feet, the store is located on the ground level of one of the city’s buzzing retail hubs in the suburbs. With presence in cities such as New Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Chandigarh, Bangalore and Pune, this is Sephora’s 17th store in the country.

    Talking about the brand journey Vivek Bali, Chief Operating Officer – Sephora India at Arvind Beauty Brands said, “It’s been a very strong journey for Sephora with a fantastic response from the millennial customers. I am very proud to say that Sephora is the No.2 searched brand for millennial. So when we opened the physical stores in India with the right assortment of brands matching the Indian skin types it brought in an overwhelming response. We are different and we have brands which nobody has. We continue to promise the customer about 6-10 new brand additions every year which we will be exclusively available at Sephora. We have started our journey in the urban centers as 60 percent of the business comes from here. Balance 40 percent comes from the Tier II and III cities which are very important. Sephora will be embarking its journey in Tier II cities this year. We are registered a double digit growth with Sephora.”

    Like all the other Sephora stores in the city, this store too carries the retailer’s popular in-house and exclusive range across make-up, skin-care, fragrances, bath and body categories as well as beauty accessories. The collections include well-known names in beauty such as Sephora Collection, Benefit, Makeup Forever, Cover FX, Becca, Stila, Smash Box, Glam Glow, Boscia, Burt’s Bees etc.  In addition to these product ranges, beauty enthusiasts are also able to shop luxe brands such as Dior, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Tom Ford Private blend, Clarins, Givenchy, Shiseido, Forest Essentials and Elizabeth Arden, making Sephora the one stop destination for all things beauty. Australian makeup brand, Klara Cosmetics with its 100 percent colour pigment range launched its collection at the store. Collections from Jo Malone and Olive will be unveiled shortly at the new store. For the discerning man, the store carries a wide range of men’s grooming products.

    The store houses the newest edition of the Beauty Studio, where shoppers are offered Mini Flash Make overs and personalized consultations from Sephora’s beauty advisors. At the beauty studio, shoppers can learn to create key makeup looks from Sephora such as Night Smokey, Diamond Lips, Perfect Brows, Dewy Foundation, Frozen Eye Shadow and Golden Frame Smoky Eyes. They can also learn the techniques for 4K contouring and how to achieve the perfect eyeliner.

    Speaking on the customer experiences and its way forward Vivek says, “We look forward in enhancing the customer experience in Sephora and we talk about the new looks. We demonstrate, promote and educate the customers for the new looks which in turn gives an experience to the customer to try the product and then buy it. This exercise will go a long way in improving the consumption in India.”

    In line with its brand ethos, the Sephora store is brightly lit with vibrant colours creating a lively atmosphere for its shoppers. The various categories of products have been divided into convenient sections enabling shoppers to pick their favourites with ease.

    Quoting on the retail numbers and its retail Omnichannel approach Vivek comments, “We have 16 operational stores and this Oberoi Mall, Goregaon, Mumbai store is the 17th store. We will be looking at opening 8 to 10 stores every year. As we evolve we have already seen the larger sizes of the stores also. On an average our stores are around 3,300 sq.ft. now and this will keep increasing with more and more brands coming in. Sephora is already a fully Omni brand where the customer can get the same experience from both online and offline. They have the choice to buy from the online store or come at the physical store and can even book the product online and pickup from the store. We operate through pour store and we deliver to the customer from the nearest store.”

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  • Sephora Korea to open door next year

    Sephora Korea to open door next year

    A situations vacant post has revealed French beauty brand Sephora’s plans to launch in Korea next year.

    The job posting for a human resources manager with Sephora Korea included an announcement that the personal and beauty care store chain will be opening an outlet in Korea in the third quarter of next year.

    While this is the brand’s first venture into the South Korean market, it already operates a network of 2300 stores worldwide since being acquired by luxury conglomerate LVMH in 1997. It has operated in China since 2005, where it has 222 outlets.

    Sephora Korea is likely to face tough competition from the local brands dominating the domestic market.

  • Memebox eyes to return the US after a year pending

    Memebox eyes to return the US after a year pending

    Memebox, a Korean beauty startup founded in 2012 as a subscription-box service, is relaunching its e-commerce business in the US after a year on hold.

    The company has remained active in Asian markets while awaiting its window to return to the US. Founder and CEO Dino Ha identified a rise in Asian beauty-brand awareness among American consumers as being the key factor in the relaunch.

    Memebox recently contracted with beauty retailer Sephora to launch a new line of cosmetics to come out this autumn. Its in-house brands are already available in the US on its new online platform, which has been reconfigured to include review and community features designed to bolster consumer education. The company’s community-building efforts to encourage sharing of product information have resulted in an increase in user engagement from three to 25 minutes spent on its platform.

    The firm maintains a database that lists the skin types, preferences and consumer trends of its 5 million active users. According to product manager Danielle Zhu, this is central to Memebox’s short product development cycle and trend-forecasting efforts.

    Memebox maintains a close relationship with social media influencers as a core strategy since first trading, and is now developing an affiliate program to encourage users to register as ambassadors of the brand. The program serves in part to address recent criticism accusing the firm of only targeting very light-skinned women, excluding many potential users with darker skin tones.