Overview

Sephora is a French multinational retailer specializing in cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, haircare, body care, nail products, and beauty tools. The business was founded in Limoges in 1969 and first launched in Paris in August 1970. Its name is derived from Séphora, the French form of Zipporah, a biblical figure. Sephora became particularly influential through an open-sell, assisted self-service retail model that allowed customers to handle and test products rather than relying on traditional counter-based selling. Dominique Mandonnaud is credited with developing this format and using it to distinguish Sephora from conventional department-store beauty retail. In 1993, Mandonnaud acquired Sephora and combined it with his own perfume-store network, expanding the name into a broader retail concept. The brand opened a major flagship on Paris's Champs-Élysées in 1997. That year, Mandonnaud and his partners sold Sephora to LVMH, which used its luxury, retail, and international operating capabilities to accelerate the chain's expansion. Sephora subsequently developed into a multi-brand platform carrying hundreds of prestige and emerging labels alongside its own Sephora Collection line. The retailer's assortment spans makeup, skincare, fragrance, hair products, body care, nail polish, accessories, and professional-style beauty tools. Its stores generally emphasize discovery, product testing, visual merchandising, beauty services, and staff assistance. Sephora also operates websites and digital services in multiple markets, integrating product reviews, loyalty programs, tutorials, sampling, personalized recommendations, and omnichannel fulfillment. The company has used partnerships and shop-in-shop formats to reach customers beyond its standalone stores, including its former relationship with JCPenney in the United States and its continuing Sephora at Kohl's presence. International growth began early in North America: Sephora opened its first U.S. store in New York City in 1998 and launched a U.S. online store in 1999. The Canadian business followed with a Toronto store in 2004 and an online operation in 2003. Sephora entered Australia in 2014 and expanded into the Middle East from 2007, establishing stores and later e-commerce operations in countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait. The Dubai Mall location became one of the brand's most prominent stores in the region. Sephora also expanded its digital footprint through the 2021 acquisition of Feelunique, a United Kingdom online prestige-beauty retailer. The brand's retail identity is built around accessibility to prestige beauty, breadth of choice, experimentation, and a comparatively modern and inclusive shopping environment. Sephora has also invested in diversity initiatives and public-facing campaigns after criticism concerning alleged racial profiling. Its large-scale North American diversity training in 2019 formed part of the We Belong to Something Beautiful initiative. In addition to standalone stores and e-commerce, Sephora has pursued department-store and mass-retail partnerships, subscription and sampling concepts, brand collaborations, pop-ups, and technology-enabled services. It remains an active LVMH-controlled international beauty retailer, although market-by-market store counts, management structures, and product assortments vary.

History

Sephora originated in France in 1969 and was first launched in Paris in August 1970. The brand name references Séphora, the French form of the biblical name Zipporah. Its most important early strategic development was Dominique Mandonnaud's open-sell retail concept. Rather than placing beauty products behind individual counters, the format encouraged shoppers to browse, test, compare, and receive assistance before purchase. Mandonnaud acquired Sephora in 1993 and merged it with his own perfume chain, creating a larger network under the Sephora name. During the 1990s, Sephora broadened beyond fragrance into a wider beauty assortment. Its Champs-Élysées flagship, opened in 1997, symbolized the brand's increasingly prominent position in French retail. In July 1997, LVMH acquired Sephora from Mandonnaud and his partners. Under LVMH ownership, Sephora benefited from the group's international reach and retail expertise while retaining a distinctive, experimentation-oriented store identity. The assortment developed to include cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, haircare, body care, nail products, and beauty tools from hundreds of brands, supported by Sephora Collection. Internationalization accelerated after the LVMH transaction. Sephora entered the United States with a New York store in 1998 and launched American e-commerce in 1999. Canada received its first store in Toronto in 2004, while the Canadian online operation had launched in 2003. Sephora began opening stores inside JCPenney in 2006, using a smaller shop-in-shop format to expand its U.S. reach. That relationship later ended after the parties did not renew their agreement, and Sephora shifted its major U.S. department-store partnership to Kohl's, announced in 2020 and launched in 2021. The Middle East became another important growth region from 2007. Sephora opened stores in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates before extending its network across several Gulf markets. The Dubai Mall store became a leading regional location, and online shopping was later introduced in the region. The company also entered Australia in 2014 and continued developing its global digital and physical presence. In 2015, it tested Play! by Sephora, a monthly sample-box service that expanded nationally in the United States in 2016. The service ended in 2020 and was replaced by a non-subscription sampling concept known as Sephora Luxe. Sephora's growth has also involved digital acquisitions and partnerships. In 2000, Sephora.com purchased the assets of Eve.com. In 2021, Sephora agreed to acquire Feelunique, a UK online beauty retailer with an international customer base and broad brand assortment. Retail partnerships, pop-ups, brand collaborations, e-commerce, loyalty programs, product reviews, and assisted services have allowed Sephora to combine a discovery-led store experience with digital convenience. The company has faced criticism over customer-account practices and alleged racial profiling. A 2014 class action alleged that rewards accounts associated with certain Chinese email domains were deactivated because of suspected bulk purchasing and resale. In 2019, SZA accused Sephora of racial profiling. Sephora subsequently announced a one-day closure of its locations for diversity training, while describing that effort as part of its We Belong to Something Beautiful inclusion campaign. These episodes contributed to a stronger public focus on customer fairness, representation, and inclusion in beauty retail. Sephora remains an active LVMH-controlled retailer with operations across multiple continents. Its competitive identity rests on breadth, prestige positioning, product trial, private-label value, emerging-brand discovery, digital engagement, and a store environment designed to make beauty experimentation central to the purchase journey.

2021
Feelunique acquisition agreement
[1]Sephoraen.wikipedia.org
Sephora agreed to acquire the UK online beauty retailer Feelunique.
2007
Middle East expansion
[1]Sephoraen.wikipedia.org
The company opened its first stores in the Middle East and began building a regional network.
1998
First U.S. store
[1]Sephoraen.wikipedia.org
Sephora opened its first American store in New York City.
1997
LVMH acquisition
[1]Sephoraen.wikipedia.org
LVMH acquired Sephora from Mandonnaud and his partners.
1993
Dominique Mandonnaud acquires Sephora
[1]Sephoraen.wikipedia.org
Mandonnaud combined Sephora with his own perfume-store chain and expanded the open-sell model.
1970
Paris launch
[1]Sephoraen.wikipedia.org
The Sephora brand was launched in Paris in August.
1969
Business founded in France
[1]Sephoraen.wikipedia.org
Sephora's French retail business was founded in Limoges.

Products and positioning

Prestige beauty discovery made accessible through a broad multi-brand assortment, open-sell stores, digital tools, sampling, services, and an inclusive retail experience.

Private-label beauty
Sephora Collection
Sephora Collection is the retailer's private-label portfolio, covering makeup, skincare, tools, accessories, and related beauty products. It complements the multi-brand assortment by offering products positioned around accessible pricing and broad everyday use. Packaging and visual identity have evolved over time, while the line remains a central part of Sephora's value proposition.
Beauty retail assortment · 1970
Multi-brand prestige beauty assortment
Sephora's core offering brings together hundreds of third-party brands across makeup, skincare, fragrance, haircare, body care, nail products, and tools. The assortment has included established luxury labels, specialist brands, digitally native companies, regional labels, and emerging businesses. Store testing, staff advice, reviews, sampling, and digital discovery are used to help customers navigate the range.
Subscription sampling · 2015
Play! by Sephora
Play! by Sephora was a U.S. monthly sample-box service introduced during a 2015 test and expanded nationally in 2016. Subscribers received a changing selection of deluxe makeup, skincare, and haircare samples in a collectible bag, with product selection informed by a customer profile. Sephora ended the service in April 2020.

Controversies

2021
Sephora and Caudalie Shanghai fined over cosmetics advertising
Shanghai market regulators found that Sephora (Shanghai) Cosmetics Sales Co. and Caudalie (Shanghai) Cosmetics Co. jointly advertised unsubstantiated testimonials and product effects for a Caudalie serum. Each company was fined 400,000 yuan.
Source
2021
Retailers named in lawsuit over mask requirements
Jennifer Reinoehl filed a lawsuit against the CDC and multiple retailers, including Krispy Kreme, Sephora, and AMC Theatres, alleging that their mask requirements violated laws intended to protect people with disabilities. The article reports the allegations and does not report a court determination.
Source
2020
Sephora commits to the Fifteen Percent Pledge
Sephora publicly committed to the Fifteen Percent Pledge, which asks large retailers to devote at least 15% of shelf space to Black-owned brands. The company said it would audit its shelf space, identify gaps and publish an action plan to meet the benchmark.
Source
2019
Racial-profiling allegation
Singer SZA accused a Sephora store of racial profiling. The company later announced diversity training across its stores in the United States.
Source
2019
Sunday Riley settles with the FTC over fake reviews
Sunday Riley settled with the FTC over reports that it directed employees to post fake product reviews on Sephora's website. The settlement bars fake reviews and requires the company to identify endorsers and their connections and instruct staff on disclosure responsibilities.
Source
2019
Sephora disclosed a customer data breach in Southeast Asia
On 5 August 2019, Sephora emailed customers in Southeast Asia that it had become aware of a data breach affecting customer data. The article says customer names, birth dates, gender, email addresses, encrypted passwords, and beauty-preference data were believed to have been accessed; it also reports Sephora said no credit card information was accessed and it had no reason to believe personal data had been misused.
Source
2014
Customer-account racial discrimination lawsuit
Four customers filed a class action alleging that Sephora disabled rewards accounts associated with Chinese email domains while describing the action as anti-resale enforcement.
Source

Marketing campaigns

2019We Belong to Something Beautiful
United States
Sephora used this inclusion-focused campaign alongside staff diversity training and broader efforts to address concerns about belonging and representation in its stores.
Outcome. The campaign became associated with Sephora's public response to criticism regarding racial profiling and customer experience.
Source
2017Gifts Beauty Park
United Arab Emirates
Sephora Middle East created a temporary beauty-themed retail and entertainment experience in Dubai, combining product discovery, games, and sessions with professional makeup artists.
Outcome. The pop-up extended Sephora's experiential retail approach beyond the conventional store.
Source

Brand decisions

2021
Agreement to acquire FeeluniqueM&A
Background
Sephora sought to strengthen its online prestige-beauty presence in the United Kingdom and internationally.
Action taken
Sephora agreed to purchase Feelunique from Palamon Capital Partners.
Aftermath
The transaction added an established digital beauty platform and its customer and brand ecosystem to Sephora's international strategy.
Source
2020
Shift from JCPenney to Kohl's partnershipStrategy
Background
Sephora's previous JCPenney agreement was not renewed, creating a need for a new large-scale U.S. shop-in-shop channel.
Action taken
Sephora announced plans to open stores inside Kohl's locations, targeting hundreds of shops.
Aftermath
The first Kohl's locations opened in 2021 and the partnership expanded substantially.
Source
2015
Play! sampling serviceProduct launch
Background
Beauty consumers were increasingly using subscription services to discover products through samples.
Action taken
Sephora tested Play! in selected U.S. cities and later expanded it nationally.
Aftermath
The service was discontinued in 2020 and replaced by a non-subscription sampling option.
Source

Recent events

Unconfirmed
Reported2026.10.15
Google launches Universal Cart in Search and Gemini app in the US[7]谷歌在美国于搜索和Gemini应用中推出Universal Carttimesofindia.indiatimes.com
Google has started rolling out Universal Cart in the US, a shopping feature available across Google Search and the Gemini app that lets shoppers save products from different retailers in one cart, track price changes and restocks, and find discounts and promo codes. Checkout is supported through Google Pay at participating merchants or by moving items to the retailer's website, with participating merchants including Nike, Sephora, Target, Ulta Beauty, Walmart and Wayfair as well as many Shopify merchants; the retailer remains the seller of record.
2026.09.23
Reported2026.09.24
Meta enlists Walmart, Best Buy, Gap, Sephora and Wayfair as Muse partners[8]Meta宣布沃尔玛、百思买、Gap、丝芙兰、Wayfair等成为Muse合作伙伴cnbc.com
At its Connect conference on September 23, 2026, Meta announced it has enlisted Muse partners including Walmart, Best Buy, Gap, Sephora and Wayfair, in a bid to help the AI agent enable new shopping experiences.
Unconfirmed
Reported2021.10.20
Sephora and Caudalie Shanghai fined over cosmetics advertising[3]Sephora and Caudalie Shanghai fined over cosmetics advertisingworkercn.cn
Shanghai market regulators found that Sephora (Shanghai) Cosmetics Sales Co. and Caudalie (Shanghai) Cosmetics Co. jointly advertised unsubstantiated testimonials and product effects for a Caudalie serum. Each company was fined 400,000 yuan.
2021.10
Reported2021.11.03
Sephora launches same-day delivery in Houston[9]Sephora 在休斯敦推出当日送达服务houstoniamag.com
Sephora introduced same-day delivery at participating Houston-area stores; the article says the service began in late October 2021.
Unconfirmed
Reported2021.09.30
Sephora completes acquisition of Feelunique[10]Sephora完成对Feelunique的收购kamcity.com
Sephora completed its acquisition of British online retailer Feelunique from Palamon Capital Partners and other shareholders, following final clearance by anti-trust authorities.
2021.08.27
Reported2021.08.26
Bumble and bumble launches Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Ultra Rich collection[11]Bumble and bumble推出Hairdresser's Invisible Oil深层滋润系列prnasia.com
Bumble and bumble launched the Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Ultra Rich collection, which includes shampoo, conditioner and a hyaluronic treatment. The collection was available through the brand's New York flagship salon, online salon, website and Sephora.
2021.08.18
Reported2021.08.29
Retailers named in lawsuit over mask requirements[4]Retailers named in lawsuit over mask requirementsbusinessinsider.com
Jennifer Reinoehl filed a lawsuit against the CDC and multiple retailers, including Krispy Kreme, Sephora, and AMC Theatres, alleging that their mask requirements violated laws intended to protect people with disabilities. The article reports the allegations and does not report a court determination.
2021.08.04
Reported2021.08.04
Sephora launches “Black Beauty is Beauty” campaign[12]Sephora 推出“Black Beauty is Beauty”宣传活动blackenterprise.com
Sephora launched the “Black Beauty is Beauty” digital and TV campaign, featuring locations and settings where Black beauty thrives. The campaign was scheduled to run until November 1.
2021.07.28
Reported2021.07.28
Sephora agrees to acquire Feelunique[13]丝芙兰同意收购Feeluniquepremiumbeautynews.com
Sephora signed an agreement with Palamon Capital Partners and other shareholders to acquire Feelunique. The acquisition was subject to antitrust clearance and was expected to close in the second half of 2021.
2021.07.07
Reported2021.07.07
Black Women Talk Tech announces sponsors for Roadmap to Billions[14]Black Women Talk Tech公布Roadmap to Billions大会赞助商prnewswire.com
Black Women Talk Tech announced sponsor additions for its virtual Roadmap to Billions conference. The release identifies The Estée Lauder Companies and Google as sponsors of the pitch competition and lists additional companies as sponsors of the conference.