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Tag: Sephora

  • Xidan Joy City’s new zone unveiled to mark 10 year anniversary

    Xidan Joy City’s new zone unveiled to mark 10 year anniversary

    Beijing’s iconic Xidan Joy City celebrated its 10 year anniversary today by unveiling its newly renovated Rose Garden relaxation zone. The celebration also marks the completion of the first phase of a significant upgrade of the mall’s interior and public areas that will continue until 2019.

    Mall owner COFCO has commissioned Woods Bagot to lead the interior design of renovation works as part of its wider strategy to deliver a new generation of Joy City malls that continue to stay ahead of changing lifestyles and interactive digital technology in China.

    Already a favourite destination among Beijing’s trend-setters and fashion-conscious youth, the 185,000 m2 mall is arranged over 12 floors in an established downtown shopping district and is home to a range of global brands including Apple, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Sephora and Zara.

    When the renovation is complete in 2019 the mall’s leading brand portfolio will be showcased across eight diverse thematic areas, providing a change of pace and an engaging journey for visitors as they move through the space.

    Xidan Joy City’s reimagined Rose Garden is a spacious relaxation area within the F&B zone featuring a spectacular organic-form wood and glass spiral staircase as its focal point.

    The Rose Garden offers breathing space in an outdoor-themed environment, bathed in abundant natural light during the day and lit dramatically from above at night by an abstract rose ceiling light fixture. Different-height seating scattered with foliage and greenery gives shoppers a unique line of sight to enjoy a more natural and personal experience as they relax.

    Billy Ip, Woods Bagot, said:

    “Beijing’s youth market has evolved greatly over the last decade, with social, economic and technological developments driving new trends, desires and lifestyles. Visitor experience is the new battleground for this sophisticated audience who seek to spend time in unique, engaging environments.

    “For Xidan Joy City’s many fans, the Rose Garden is a space where many happy memories have been made. We have honoured this sentiment by creating a place for visitors old and new to both recall and build new memories.

    “Woods Bagot’s concept for the revived Rose Garden provides an avant-garde interpretation of an energising and peaceful ambience, and we look forward to sharing our creative direction for the other spaces as works progress over the next year.”

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  • More online super sales for Asia online market

    More online super sales for Asia online market

    While the US formulated online super sales, such as this week’s Black Friday, Asia has adopted the concept with a vengeance.

    In fact, China has increasingly been exporting Alibaba’s Singles Day (11.11) event, which this month racked up a massive US$35 billion in sales. November is the favoured month for this new consumer mania, offering the Singles Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

    Both Black Friday and Cyber Monday themselves have been catching on in the Asia Pacific, growing by 29 per cent last year, according to global payments company WorldPay.

    It says that despite forking out $17.8 billion on Singles Day last year, Chinese consumers still went hunting Black Friday bargains, with overall spending on the day up by 37 per cent from the previous year. In Hong Kong, the rate of growth was 32 per cent, and in Singapore 21 per cent.

    While retailers are among the biggest Black Friday winners, new WorldPay data suggests this year could also be a great opportunity for savvy APAC businesses in the travel and digital sectors. In Hong Kong, spending with travel and airlines saw a 30 per cent surge last year, with Singapore figures up 20 per cent as travellers jumped online to search for flight and hotel deals.

    Not just retailers

    Shoppers are also increasingly seeking out bargains for digital content such as subscriptions, e-books and on-demand box sets. Black Friday spending in this sector last year grew 62 per cent in Hong Kong and 14 per cent in Singapore.

    Not just retailers can benefit from Black Friday, but also a range of e-commerce businesses, says WorldPay Asia Pacific GM Phil Pomford.

    “While Black Friday and Cyber Monday have typically been the realm of retailers, a more diverse range of businesses are now recognising they can also take can take advantage of this special online opportunity.

    Shoppers during this time are highly engaged, proactive and looking for a wide range of online deals, so the potential to reach new customers and strengthen brand loyalty is huge, regardless of sector.

    “E-commerce businesses should set themselves up for success by ensuring their websites are prepared for heavy traffic, and offer simple payment options to drive shopping-cart conversions. They might also consider following the example of Amazon and kickstart Black Friday deals a week early.”

    Black Friday online sales surpassed $3 billion last year and are expected to rise this week, says Adobe Digital Insights, as buyers seek to avoid long queues and lost hours in retail stores.

    In Southeast Asia, Google searches for “Black Friday” have surged over the past five years, and 12 months ago major offline/online retailers like Robinsons, Sephora and Zalora offered generous discounts for the event.

    “Many industries rely on this event to make up a large portion of their fourth-quarter sales, in particular toys and games,” says Euromonitor International senior toys and games analyst Matthew Hudak.

    ‘Sure to jump on’

    Digital campaign company RTB House says Black Friday last year attracted 106 per cent more people to online stores, with 204 per cent more transactions.

    “We anticipate conversion rates surging this time,” says RTB House Southeast Asia country director Chandra Kuncara. “Customers who missed out on Singles Day will be sure to jump on this event.”

    He says personalised retargeting is an important selling tool during Black Friday. With AI technology and deep-learning algorithms, marketers can highlight most-desired products for each individual customer.

    More purchases mean more packages being shipped, and international courier service FedEx is again expecting to handle a record number of packages over the peak holiday shopping period, which starts on Monday and runs to December 24. This year it is expecting 380 to 400 million packages.

    The growth of cross-border e-commerce is turning the peak shipping season into a global phenomenon, says FedEx. For instance, 37 per cent of Singles Day purchases in China last year were from international brands or merchants. Cross-border shopping is expected to make up 20 per cent of e-commerce sales by 2022, led by Asia Pacific.

    “While an online purchase takes just a few clicks, logistics providers are working hard behind the scenes powering every moment,” says FedEx Express AsiaPacific president Karen Reddington. “Our business is the backbone of the e-commerce market.”

    Meanwhile, while shoppers scramble for Black Friday bargains this week, outdoor retailer REI is closing its 154 US stores for the third consecutive year, offering its nearly 12,000 employees a paid holiday. It is truly going against the tide by also putting a hold on online orders.

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  • Kim Kardashian to launch her first fragrance

    Kim Kardashian to launch her first fragrance

    Reality TV star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian has announced she will launch a gardenia-inspired fragrance collection under her KKW Beauty firm.

    The social media savant-turned-entrepreneur will release three eau de parfums via Kardashian’s online beauty portal kkwfragrance.com.

    Dubbed ‘Crystal Gardenia’, ‘Crystal Gardenia Citrus’ and Crystal Gardenia Oud’ – all variations on Kardashian’s preferred flower scent – the perfumes will be available in two sizes, both 30ml. and 75ml.

    For the Gardenia collection, Kardashian worked with fragrance house Givaudan.

    The brand’s signature scent, ‘Crystal Gardenia’, features notes of water lily, gardenia, tiara flower and velvet tuberose, rounded out by warm woods and skin musk for a deeper finish. ‘Crystal Gardenia Oud’ opens with top notes of bergamot, lavender, red rose and jasmine, featuring base notes of oud, patchouli and royal amber, while ‘Crystal Gardenia Citrus’ boasts top notes of sparkling citrus, woods and musks.

    Some 300,000 bottles with go on sale and are expected to sell out in minutes.

    “I think that with the social media aspect of it, [and] being able to really reach so many people, I think it’s going to work. Obviously I’m in the celebrity category, but I just wanted a bottle that was so simple that can look like it’s something sitting on your counter and be a beautiful object. I tried to make it really timeless so that it can’t just all be about a celebrity fragrance,” Kardashian told WWD, in an interview.

    Kardashian first unveiled her KKW Beauty brand in June this year, with the launch of a Creme Contour & Highlight Kit, available in four shades. The star then went on to launch a powder version of the first contour set, available in three shades.

    The businesswoman has been doing fragrance since 2009 through a licensing deal with Lighthouse Beauty that has since ended.

  • Sephora to open new Highpoint Shopping Centre store next month

    Sephora to open new Highpoint Shopping Centre store next month

    Global beauty giant ,Sephora, is continuing its expansion in Australia as it opens its new store at Highpoint Shopping Centre on November 2.

    This will be the global retailer’s 13th Australian store and third in Victoria, (Melbourne Central and Chadstone).

    The new store will feature over 100 cosmetic brands including exclusive lines from Marc Jacobs Beauty, Givenchy, Tarte, Anastasia Beverly Hills and the new Fenty Beauty by Rihanna.

    “We can’t wait to bring another Sephora store to Victoria,” said Sephora country manager Libby Amelia.

    “The demand for more Melbourne stores has been considerable and we want to be able to meet the expectations of our local beauty aficionados. Highpoint Shopping Centre is a great fit for us and we’re looking forward to launching there next month.

    Sephora is also expanding its product offering in-store and online, with the recent launch of its new Wellness Category. The all-new Wellness Category features health and wellness brands including; KORA Organics, The Beauty Chef & WellCo.

  • Sephora to open at Highpoint Shopping Centre

    Sephora to open at Highpoint Shopping Centre

    Global beauty giant Sehpora has today announced its next store location, continuing its extensive retail expansion in Australia, opening at Highpoint Shopping Centre this November.

    It’s the beauty retailer’s 13th Australian store and third in Victoria, (Melbourne Central and Chadstone), and follows hot on the heels of the cosmetic’s chainslatest opening at Erina Shopping Centre on the Central Coast yesterday.

    “The demand for more Melbourne stores has been considerable and we want to be able to meet the expectations of our local beauty aficionados,” said Sephora country manager Libby Amelia.

    “Highpoint Shopping Centre is a great fit for us and we’re looking forward to launching there next month. We have some super exciting activities planned for launch day to welcome Melbourne’s inner western beauties to the wonderful world of Sephora,” said Amelia.

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  • Sephora opens 12th Aussie location at Central Coast

    Sephora opens 12th Aussie location at Central Coast

    Global beauty retailer Sephora has today opened a new store today at Erina Fair, the company’s 12th Australian retail location, and seventh New South Wales store.

    Continuing their investment in brick-and-mortar stores, Sephora’s country manager, Libby Amelia, said “freedom to experience” is at the core of the cosmetics chain’s model.

    “After almost three years in the market our core customers know all about our exclusive brands like Tarte, Marc Jacobs Beauty, Fenty Beauty, Kat Von D and Huda, but with an ever-increasing list of new makeup, skincare, hair care and lifestyle brands, we know our customers are crying out for the opportunity to touch, play experience our brands, products and services too,”Amelia said.

    “We want our customers to be able to come into our stores whenever they like, for as long as they like,” she said. “You can touch and feel and play – being left to your own devices, or you can ask one of our experienced Beauty Advisors to guide you.”

    Stephen Ross, centre manager, said adding Sephora to Erina’s mix meant consumers “no longer have to travel outside the region to get their beauty fix of Sephora’s brands”.

    The global chain recently opened in concept stores in Spain and France, hinting at the LVMH-owned cosmetics retailer’s future design direction.

  • Sephora concept stores debut in France and Spain

    Sephora concept stores debut in France and Spain

    New Sephora concept stores have opened in Spain and France, hinting at the LVMH-owned cosmetics retailer’s future design direction.

    Unashamedly targeting millennials, the brand is trying to increase dwell time in-store and encourage younger shoppers to buy into perfume.

    First introduced in France, the hyper-connected stores bring customers what Sephora describes as “a unique beauty experience in an unprecedented service-driven environment, perfectly expressing the beauty retailer’s play, share and shop philosophy”.

    “Following the tremendous success of two pilot stores opened in March in Nantes and Val d’Europe in France, Sephora has brought its new store concept to Spain. This new concept revolves around a fascinating variety of services, letting Sephora offer a groundbreaking beauty experience, transforming beauty shopping in Spain, where the brand has been present since 1998,” the company said in a statement.

    The new design engages customers right from the entrance, with a giant slide for shoppers who are happy to eschew escalators or the piano stairway.

    “As at the two French pilot stores, these newest concept stores include a trend zone with a selection of hot new products, a beauty hub for personalised advice and beauty classes to learn about specific makeup topics. With four distinct experience spaces – compared with one or two at classic stores – the new concept stores give customers access to an expanded range of brands, from the latest on-trend products from South Korea to para-pharmaceutical products, and engage with a broader audience, especially millennials.”

    New services include the Dry Bar by Rizos for a 15-minute hairstyle touch-up and the Drops fragrance experience, designed to introduce younger customers to perfume by letting them personalise the bottle of their chosen fragrance in a fun, interactive way.

    “With these two new concept stores Sephora introduces a groundbreaking shopping experience in Spain, as the brand continues to expand the concept throughout Europe, adapting it to each country for an even more exclusive experience,” the company said.

  • Laneige enters US Sephora

    Laneige enters US Sephora

    Cosmetics brand Laneige, run by Amorepacific, will be available at the multi-shop brand Sephora in North America starting on Saturday 23 September, according to Amorepacific.

    Laneige products will be distributed through 144 Sephora stores across the US along with 74 stores in Canada, according to the company.

    Sephora is the largest distributor of Beauty Multi Shop in the United States, with 365 stores, and is famous for leading the American beauty trends.

    Sephora stores in Canada have been carrying distributing Laneige since September 2015.

    The brand previously launched in the US through the retailer Target in 2014, but pulled out from the stores in 2015. It is re-entering the market through an exclusive contract with Sephora.

    Laneige will be developing products exclusively for the American millennial target demographic and strengthen customer experience through localizing strategies, the company said.

    Laneige will satisfy customer’s need by showing sleeping beauty category such as Water sleeping mask, as well as K-beauty’s core items and Laneige’s best sellers Water Bank, Bibi Cushion, Two-tone Lip Bar.

    The company is trying to diversify global markets.

    Since launching in Asia market in April 2002 with Sogo Department Store in Hong Kong, Laneige has been expanding into 12 countries around the world in this year’s high-level strategy based on best-selling products.

    As of 2017, Laneige is available in 12 countries in Asia and North America. The brand is currently preparing for launch in Australia and France.

    An official of Laneige said, “The entering Sephora means that Laneige has achieved a good result in a short period of time. We will introduce more US customers about K Beauty in the future. “

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  • Star leaks Fenty Beauty by Rihanna campaign images

    Star leaks Fenty Beauty by Rihanna campaign images

    Pop star Rihanna has uploaded visuals from the advertising campaign for her new cosmetics line Fenty Beauty by Rihanna on Instagram.

    The Barbados-born entertainer has 56.2 million followers on the social-media site.

    Little information has been released yet about the beauty line, created in collaboration with Kendo, the LVMH group’s subsidiary which also works on Kat Von D and Marc Jacobs Beauty.

    Rihanna presented her first make-up product, a bronze lip gloss with a glistening rosy shimmer and “holographic” effects 12 months ago at a catwalk show for Fenty Puma, the line designed in collaboration with German sports brand.

    Fenty Beauty by Rihanna will be available at Sephora stores and on the perfumery retailer’s e-shop from Friday.

    This is not Rihanna’s first foray into make-up. She had a collaboration with Mac Cosmetics in 2013.

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  • Sephora’s latest store “completes omnichannel loop”

    Sephora’s latest store “completes omnichannel loop”

    Cosmetics retailer, Sephora, will open its 11th Australian store at Westfield Bondi Junction in September.

    The new location adds to the beauty chain’s five Sydney stores, located at Pitt St, Broadway, Macquarie, Warringah, Macarthur Square, as well as the soon to open Charlestown (Hunter Valley) location.

    Sephora country manager, Libby Amelia, said it had been a “big year” for the brand and that there was “no sign of us slowing down yet.”

    Brands including KORA Organics, The Beauty Chef and WelleCo, alongside luxe hair care brand Ouai and natural efficacious skincare like Peter Thomas Roth and Ole Henriksen will be offered at the store.

    According to Amelia, the Bondi location will house niche, luxe and natural offerings from local and international brands, with the store set to one of the first retail locations to include Sephora’s new in-store ‘Wellness’ hub, which completes “the loop on our omnichannel offering.”

    “In 2017, ‘Wellness’ became the new black – far from a trend, this beauty essential is a staple in the routines of women across the globe,” said Amelia.

    “Instead of buying quick-fixes and synthetic supplements health-conscious consumers are turning to products with ingredients that promise to combat the effects of an always-on lifestyle.”

    As the first market globally to adopt the Wellness vertical, the global retailer said “it’s only logical that the Australian market would select from the wealth of Aussie wellness brands,” offering a selection from Miranda Kerr’s KORA Organics and Elle Macpherson’s WelleCo, Carla Oates’ The Beauty Chef, James Duigan’s Bodyism, and Chanelle Louise’s Cilk Rosewater.

    “Our customers always want the next big thing, and the demand for wellness has been growing for some time”, said Alice Macdonald, Sephora Australia’s digital category manager.

    “Women are seeing beauty as a natural extension of their health, and are scanning beauty labels just as thoroughly as they do the labels on their food. The social movement for the wellness category is really strong with our customers, and we are so excited to be able to cater to their needs.”

    Sephora Australia retail category manager, Kirrily Bird, said its customers “know that Wellness isn’t an add-on or an afterthought, but a key step in her daily beauty routine” and that the retailer was “really conscious of partnering with brands and products that had a strong link back to beauty and skin health.”

    Of the future plans for the category, Amelia said that, “Wellness isn’t a moment, but a mainstay at the core of our business”.

    “The launch is one moment in the journey of Wellness for Sephora and for our brands and offering. Watch this space,” she said.

  • Sephora Malaysia to open at Genting Highlands

    Sephora Malaysia to open at Genting Highlands

    Sephora Malaysia will open its 19th store at the Sky Avenue mall, in Genting Highlands on September 1.

    The beauty retailer will feature up to 100 international brands including Dr. Jart+, Fresh, Kat Von D, Marc Jacobs Beauty, Tarte.

    Product categories range from makeup, skincare, devices and haircare through to fragrances.

    Opening day promotions will be available for early bird customers, including gift vouchers from RM50 to RM100, Sephora mini backpacks and other giveaways. There will be live music in-store.

  • Sephora Studio store concept unveiled in Boston

    Sephora Studio store concept unveiled in Boston

    Global beauty retailer Sephora has unveiled its first new concept mini-store format, in Boston. The Sephora Studio is contained within just 2000 sqft (190 sqm) and – in the company’s words – has an “emphasis on artistry and skincare services”.

    The store opened on Boston’s high-end shopping strip, Newbury Street, on Friday.

    “The Sephora Studio presents clients with an optimised store design and intimate format that fosters personalised connections between our clients and the store’s top-ranking beauty advisors,” said Calvin McDonald, president and CEO of Sephora Americas.

    “In today’s retail environment where very little is constant and clients’ expectations are ever-evolving, one thing has remained true for Sephora: there is no better way to create meaningful connections with clients than through personalised experiences and a customised approach to beauty. We could not be more focused on that notion than we are with the opening of Sephora Studio.

    “The Studio merges the best of an inclusive neighbourhood retail environment with best-in-class digital tools that enable our expert beauty advisors to customise recommendations on an individual basis,” said McDonald.

    Online to Offline strategy

    Sephora Studio integrates a variety of digital tools to optimise client experiences before, during and after their store visit. Among them are digital welcome and service menu screens for easy navigation and self-help, and beauty advisors with mobilised devices that can quickly service clients with appointment check in, looking up their Beauty Insider loyalty program status, and retrieving Sephora.com ratings and reviews on any product throughout the store.

    Additionally, Sephora Studio features two omnichannel product delivery options: order in store and same day pick-up. Both delivery features offer ease and convenience for purchase of product not available at the store. With order in store, Sephora staff can place the client’s order through Sephora.com with complimentary standard shipping or reduced next day shipping. For those who may need products faster, Sephora Studio will partner with another Boston store, Sephora Prudential Center, one of the first Sephora US stores to offer same day pick up.

    From October, Boston area clients can purchase on their device via the Sephora app and pick it up at Sephora Prudential Center the same day.

    Teach, inspire and play

    Meanwhile, Sephora’s innovative retail concept designed to Teach, Inspire, Play will extend to Sephora Studio by encouraging clients to freely test products from a curated selection of brands across prestige cosmetics, skincare, hair care and fragrance.

    “Sephora Studio is a destination for iconic, cult and emerging prestige beauty brands, including makeup, skincare, haircare and fragrance such as Benefit, Bite Beauty, Bobbie Brown, Bumble and bumble, Caudalie, Drunk Elephant, Drybar, Fresh, Kat Von D Beauty, Milk Makeup, Ole Henriksen, Ouai, Sunday Riley, NARS and Verb. The studio will offer clients a safe place to learn, play and master new looks with ongoing inspirational group learning-style Sephora Beauty Classes,” the company said.

    Clients can drop by to check makeover availability or book a premium service at one of the eight beauty studio seats in advance using Sephora’s client reservation system available online, through its app and via Facebook Messenger.

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  • Moschino launches first cosmetic collection with Sephora

    Moschino launches first cosmetic collection with Sephora

    Italian luxury fashion label Moschino is making its first leap into cosmetics, teaming up with global beauty retailer Sephora to distribute its debut make-up collection.

    The Moschino x Sephora collection is centred on bright colours and features quirky packaging, such as Moschino’s signature teddy bear in gold.

    The seven items include lip-gloss, brushes, a highlighter and an eye shadow, the latter housed in a palette designed to look like a shopping bag.

    Collection prices range from US$23 for the miniature shopping bag eye shadow to $68 for the teddy bear brush set.

    It marks the first cosmetics collection to come out of the Jeremy Scott-helmed Moschino. Part of the Aeffe group since 1999, the Italian brand already has a retail history with Sephora, with its multiple fragrances being sold there.

    The cosmetics debut follows up Moschino’s foray into furniture when, in March, it released a capsuled collection designed in collaboration with furniture company Gufram.

    In the APAC region, Sephora has stores in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Australia and New Zealand. It’s also present in Europe, and in North and South America.

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  • Sephora to open store in Doota mall in Korea

    Sephora to open store in Doota mall in Korea

    Sephora, the world’s largest cosmetics multi shop, will open a store in Doota Mall, Dongdaemun, Seoul.

    According to officials, Sephora is in the process of making contract with Doota Mall.

    Sephora, that started in 1969 as a small cosmetics shop in France, is a famous cosmetics shop that is often found in famous shopping streets around the world, where customer can buy and test various cosmetic brands.

    Especially in 1997, the power of Sephora became stronger when it was sold to the LVMH group of world famous brand Louis Vuitton.

    It has been reported that Doosan’s owner, Park Seo-won, in charge of distribution strategy of Doosan (CSO), has contacted officials of Louis Vuitton and It is now presumed to open Sephora in Doota Mall.

    Park Seo-won met Bernard Arnault, who is president of LVMH group in the eve of Louis Vuitton Exhibition held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul in early June, and also attended the “Viva Technology” conference, a start-up company road show held in Paris, France.

    At the time of opening the Doota Duty Free Shop, Park visited Louis Vuitton and Chanel‘s headquarters to try and attract luxury brands. However, one year later, they are facing difficulties in attracting luxury brands compared to other duty free shops. In addition, Doota duty free sales was directly affected by Thaad.

    However, it is now possible to expect to boost the Doota mall through the opening of Sephora.

    Sephora is expected to attract not only foreign customers but also Korean customers by having a PB brand that can be sold only in Sephora as well as luxury cosmetics brands such as Dior, Hermes, Prada and Tom Ford.

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  • For some Indie beauty brands, getting into Sephora can be better than getting into an incubator

    For some Indie beauty brands, getting into Sephora can be better than getting into an incubator

    For Supergoop’s Holly Thaggard, getting into Sephora helped her small sunscreen brand look bigger than it was. Over the six years since she got onto the shelves of Sephora – the world’s largest beauty retailer with more than 2,300 stores worldwide, including more than 350 in the United States – Sephora has been especially helpful in promoting the brand, developing new products and navigating the regulatory complexities of launching in multiple countries in Asia.

    That’s typical of how Sephora deals with the small brands it helps launch. Think of Sephora as part retailer, and part incubator for indie beauty brands.  To get in to Sephora, startups need to have not only a strong product, but also a strong story the beauty retailer can tell. Sephora, a division of luxury conglomerate LVMH, has gotten flack for stocking LVMH brands over those of cosmetics giants L’Oréal and Estee Lauder.

    But for the startup brands it works with, its execs will brainstorm on product development, help with social-media promotion, and offer a roadmap for how to go from small to big based on a template it’s been using successfully for years. “We work very closely with these brands,” says Priya Venkatesh, Sephora’s vice of merchandising for skincare and haircare. “That is the model of Sephora.”

    Over the years, it’s given big boosts to indie makeup brands like Urban Decay, a cult favorite purchased by L’Oréal in 2012, and Too Faced, a popular indie brand bought by Estee Lauder last year for $1.4 billion. “Sephora is constantly looking to support new and indie brands,” says Amanda Davenport, a retail consultant at The Grayson Co. For the brands that make it onto the shelves, she notes, “they have done a lot of things right, and they have the opportunity to scale.”

    Consider a startup haircare brand, Ouai (pronounced “way”) added the name of celebrity stylist Jen Atkin, who founded the line, to its products’ packaging at the urging of Sephora. “Jen didn’t want that,” says Ouai co-president Andrew Knox. “If Sephora didn’t push that, we might not have done it.” The startup, which expects sales above $20 million this year, also worked closely with Sephora on the launch of a dry shampoo foam in February, creating how-to videos and Instagram content for the retailer about it. As co-president Deanna Kangas says: “They understand small brands, and how to build small brands. That is part of Sephora’s DNA.”