Sephora has announced a major change being rolled out globally across their beauty stores in line with a new inclusivity initiative. The beauty retailer has introduced 'quiet hours' in their shops to make shopping 'calmer' after listening to suggestions from the neurodiversity community.
What Quiet Hours Entail
At specified times, Sephora stores will now turn down the music and adjust screens to create a calmer atmosphere with fewer distractions for shoppers. This follows a successful pilot campaign in 32 stores across eight markets.
Global Rollout and Intent
The quiet shopping environment will now be deployed globally in all regions, aiming to entice anyone who prefers a more peaceful retail experience to visit their stores. Deborah Yeh, the Global Chief Marketing Officer at Sephora, said she hopes quiet hours will help clients who want a calmer shopping experience feel welcome.
Deborah stated: "At Sephora, we are driven by our purpose to champion a world of inspiration and inclusion where everyone can celebrate their beauty. With Quiet Hours at Sephora, we provide a beautifully calm atmosphere where clients feel welcome, allowing them to shop at their own pace, find and purchase the products they love. Quiet Hours at Sephora is one meaningful step in our ongoing commitment to building more welcoming environments for our consumers, employees, and communities - and we know there is still much more to learn and do. We are proud of this step forward - and equally committed to continuing to listen, learn, and grow alongside the communities we serve."
Development and Expert Involvement
Sephora's new initiative was also formed with help from experts such as inclusivity research agency Open Inclusion and Purposeful Futures, as well as internal employee resource groups.
Positive Feedback from Pilot
Following the successful pilot scheme, 90% of clients said that quiet hours helped to make Sephora stores more inclusive and welcoming for all. Sephora's Beauty Advisors are also fans of the new campaign, as it allows them to have a moment of quietness when working.
A Beauty Advisor from Sephora Westfield London White City store said: "Quiet Hour is my favourite time of the week. It gives me a break from distracting noises and gives me a chance to step back and process every situation. We can build stronger connections with clients as we are in a calmer environment, and both feel at peace."
Expert Perspectives
Christine Hemphill of Open Inclusion commented: "By listening directly to neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive beauty customers across five countries, we uncovered clear opportunities to rethink what more inclusive beauty retail spaces look, sound and feel like. Their experiences shaped the development of Sephora Quiet Hours. This has helped create an environment that is more accessible, welcoming and comfortable for many people. It is a powerful example of how listening to broader perspectives can help ambitious, customer-oriented brands like Sephora design their spaces and service experiences where all consumer needs are considered and included. This is the future of retail."
Chloe Matharu of Purposeful Futures added: "What began as a response to the needs of neurodivergent beauty fans across the world became a much bigger opportunity: to reimagine what the experience can be for many who find retail physical environments challenging. By becoming the first global beauty retailer to introduce Quiet Hours, Sephora is setting a new standard for the industry, and proving that some of the most powerful innovations are those designed for inclusion."
