Talk about a quick turnaround.
In September, Sephora will launch a new initiative called Store to Door. If a customer wants to purchase a makeup shade or product that’s not available or they don’t want to carry their bag home, a Sephora associate will place the customer’s order via iPod Touch and it will be delivered to their home in three days or less for free.
“It’s easy and it just leverages the e-commerce inventory,” said Julie Bornstein, chief marketing and digital officer at Sephora Americas. “[Before] we had the ability to call and place an order for you, but this is an added service.”
On Thursday, Sephora relocated its 711 Lexington Avenue store in Manhattan to 740 Lexington Avenue, making for a much larger and more spacious venue. The 7,000-square-foot shop includes all of Sephora’s IQ services, Color IQ, Skincare IQ and Fragrance IQ.
Related Galleries
“For us, digital has always been a means to an end,” she said, “which is creating a perfect shopping experience.”
Bornstein noted that this is the second generation of Fragrance IQ and that consumers are able to narrow down their fragrance selection by telling the technology what they like. Then the interactive wall-mounted system narrows down a selection of scents for the consumer to try.
“Nothing is exclusive to this store,” noted Bornstein. “But because [this location] is newer, it brings together a lot of the pieces that we have in other stores.”
In addition to Fragrance IQ and Store to Door, the new Lexington Avenue location will add the Sephora Brow Studio in September. Powered by Anastasia, the shaping service includes a complimentary mini makeover for brows.
The retailer will also feature complimentary makeup application classes on Sunday mornings before the store opens. Each class — namely Perfect Paired Lips & Cheeks, Contouring & Highlighting, Colorful Eye Makeup with Radiant Orchid, Day-To-Night Smoky Eye, Flawless Foundation, Skin Care Basics, Party-Ready Smoky Eye and False Lashes — accommodates from eight to 12 people and consumers can sign up online or on mobile devices.
Bornstein added that Sephora has about 60 locations that conduct classes and she believes next year they will be available at most stores.
While executives declined to discuss sales projections, industry sources estimated that the new Lexington Avenue store could generate first-year sales of $15 million.
In terms of Store to Door, Sephora executives expects the service to have a multimillion dollar impact in its first year.