One of the driving forces behind Sephora’s success has been a strategic dedication to embedding the mobile experience into every step of the customer journey — before the shopping trip, in-store and after.
“Mobile really does become the glue for our clients between their interactions with Sephora,” said Mary Beth Laughton, SVP of digital at Sephora, at the Internet Retailer Conference and Expo in Chicago.
Ms. Laughton described the Sephora customer journey and the tools used at each step.
To draw customers into stores, Sephora employs a few different uses of mobile, including sending location-targeted texts promoting a limited-edition product to customers who live near the stores where the item is available. Sephora also creates daily mobile content to bring users to the site, and launched a Facebook Messenger chatbot, which allows customers to book an appointment with a stylist.
Sephora has built numerous features into its app that allow customers to make use of their mobile device as an in-store companion. With the Digital Makeover Guide feature, for example, a customer takes a “before” picture of herself and uploads it to the mobile app. Then she undergoes a makeover, during which the stylist notes products and techniques she uses in the app.
Following the makeover, the customer uploads an “after” photo so that during her next visit she can pull it up alongside a saved list of the products used to achieve the look. After the visit, the customer receives personalized emails with pictures, tips and products to use in recreating the look she got.
At home, the customer can also call up Sephora’s Virtual Artist module, an augmented reality tool, which allows users to “try on” products such as eyelashes and eyeshadow in-app and buy products as well.
“I encourage you to think beyond mobile commerce,” Ms. Laughton said. “Mobile commerce is critical and [retailers] have to get that right, but mobile can do so much more. It can inspire, it can educate, it can play with consumers.”
In an online discussion last week, the RetailWire BrainTrust gave Sephora accolades for its skillful use of mobile moments.
"This is a great example of technology, not being used for the sake of technology, but to actually engage the customer and improve their shopping experience," said Sterling Hawkins, co-founder of the Center for Advancing Retail and Technology. "Each tool works in synergy across the different touch points adding value along the way."
Some noted the way Sephora takes customer proximity into account.
"Approaching mobile moments as opportunities to inspire and activate consumers with meaningful experiences is exactly the right strategy," said Julie Bernard, chief marketing officer at Verve. "Sephora is wise to think about location and context of their in-app engagements, and it appears they can take these app-based experiences even further."
The BrainTrust also considered what lessons other retailers can take from Sephora's mobile-forward strategy.
"Only parts of the Sephora implementation are specifically transferable (supermarkets probably wouldn’t add value by letting customers 'try on' products); however, the approach and strategy Sephora has deployed is something we can all learn from," Mr. Hawkins said.
"Therein lies the key — transparent technology that fades into the experience and doesn’t get in the way, truly removing, not adding, friction while blending commerce seamlessly into the mix," said Ricardo Belmar, senior director of worldwide product marketing at InfoVista.
"No wonder Sephora enjoys such extreme customer loyalty," said Mr. Belmar.
