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Sephora debuting a new boutique approach

August 7, 2017

Sephora is testing a "boutique" strategy in response to the current retail climate.

It launched the new retail experiment in Boston, according to a Fast Company report, which describes the retail pilot as "an intimate boutique embedded in a neighborhood." The first small store concept is called Sephora Studio and features a smaller product assortment targeting makeup.

The store's staff is using mobile payment so there are no registers. Beauty advisors are on hand to help consumers test product and then record the try-on experience to share with the consumer via email.

"The goal of the Studio is to foster personal connections between our clients and our beauty advisers," Mary Beth Laughton, senior vice president of digital, told FastCompany. "But we're using technology to ease that relationship building. We're not interested in using technology for technology's sake."