Sephora's first ‘Store of the Future’ in Shanghai is all about experiential retail & community building

Sephora, the global omnichannel beauty retailer has launched what it calls “its first Store of the Future in China”. Situated along the frequented East Nanjing Road in Shanghai, this will be its second Store of the Future globally after the opening of a similar concept in Singapore late last year.

"The Store of the Future in Shanghai showcases our obsession for experiential retail, where consumers get to enjoy a curated and on-trend beauty offer, tailored and personalized services and classes, as well as digital touchpoints used to unlock consumer journeys within the store," shared Alia Gogi, President of Sephora Asia. "Specifically customized to the unique preferences of Chinese consumers, we believe this store will set a new benchmark in prestige beauty retail in China."

Maggie Chan, Managing Director of Sephora Greater China, said, speaking about it, "Apart from incorporating beauty tech, Sephora's Store of the Future in Shanghai is part of our ongoing commitment to deepen our engagement with the beauty community in China. We are excited to continue learning from our customers and partners to deliver a retail experience that best suit their needs and desires."

The company informs that the store features some differentiated touchpoints including:

1.  Care analysis: an advanced skin analysis device powered by big data analytics for a hyper-personalized consultation.

2.  Look analysis: AI-generated makeup trends for inspiration and tutorials on the latest beauty looks with product recommendations.

3.  Lift and Learn: Panels and price tags equipped with RFID sensors to educate consumers on various product ingredients and provide access to millions of customer reviews.

4.  Mobile POS: check out anywhere with our beauty advisors to skip lines.

5.  Personalized gift packaging 

In addition to incorporating advanced beauty tech and digital tools in the store, the store also has Sephora's beauty advisors to provide 15-minute skincare consultations, 60-minute makeup services and a 15-minute beauty play service to bring virtual artist looks to life.

Sephora will also have a purpose-built Beauty Live Studio to gather Sephora's beauty community for exclusive celebratory events or frequent and regular masterclasses on the trendiest looks, latest brands, and products.