Sephora reinforces its commitment to omnichannel by posting strong results

After having tested the UK market through its online channel, French cosmetics chain Sephora, owned by LVMH group, landed physically in the UK at the beginning of 2023 with a shop in Westfield London.

Just a few weeks after its opening, this shop - covering more than 6,000 square metres and created with the aim of "surprising and delighting customers", according to a press release - has exceeded the multinational's expectations by +300 percent, Christopher de Lapuente, president of LVMH Selective Retailing, said during the World Retail Congress in Barcelona.

Lapuente explained that after the challenges of shop closures during the global pandemic, Sephora and other brands in LVMH's Selective Retailing division have rebounded significantly, achieving a 30 per cent growth in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.

He credits the division's investment to developing a strong omni-channel presence as "in this world" you have to give "the consumer the freedom to choose where and how to shop: anytime, anywhere, on any device", he argued.

The executive also stressed the importance of its culture and people, and said the luxury group is taking steps to improve diversity and inclusion, having already made significant progress.

Two-thirds of Sephora's leadership worldwide is female, while in the US the Group is driving initiatives to increase the representation of people of colour at the top, Lapuente pointed out, while stressing the importance of gender, cultural, racial and economic diversity.