Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Milena Maksić, Digital Account Director, OvationBBDO
The crisis in the retail industry is not a new topic. Thanks to the revolution launched by e-Commerce, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to attract and keep the customer in the store. The fate of the shopping malls, large-formats and chain stores is more uncertain than ever, at the global level. Big players are under pressure to optimize physical shops and transform, in order to survive and get a new chance for success. The traditional sales channel gives way to digital, it seems with no exception.
However, an exception does exist, and is recording excellent results. In parallel with the successes which they record in the field of online sales, one retail chain continues to open new stores and is achieving unprecedented growth globally – in 33 markets, with about 2,300 stores.
Sephora.
A leader in the business of beautiful, shiny and fragrant, the French retail chain now also offers, in addition to their own trademarks, about 300 carefully selected brands of decorative cosmetics, perfumes and products for face, body, hair and nails. This name, rarely recognized in the original (as the biblical name of Moses’ beautiful wife), today is a symbol of beauty and care for millions of women and men worldwide. For an inner circle of connoisseurs, Sephora is more than that – it is an example of a brand that in the core of its market success has intrinsic orientation to digital.
Sephora has always been an innovative business. It was one of the first to introduced prestigious brands and give consumers the opportunity to try them out in the store. Their first website, launched in the nineties, soon after turned into a platform for e-commerce, and digital already then became the backbone of their business model. Technology has paved the way for innovations in the offline space, which is in Sephora applied solely for the purpose of improving the experience of consumers, more efficient purchase process and more entertaining selection. The latest example is an app that scans your face and as a result gives the corresponding code, according to skin tone, which is then used to find all the nuances of products such as powders, shadows, lipsticks and blush to suit particular consumer, according to the brands they choose. For those who don’t want to try dozens of different lipsticks on their own lips, there is an AR app that makes it possible on the basis of a photograph (your favorite selfie on your smartphone). Less tech-savvy consumers can get onsite advice and free make-up tips from the experts, or search the online workshop, a database of video tutorials, advice of professionals and trends from the world of beauty. An immersive site and a mobile app provide the most diverse range of useful sections, with an extremely easy process of ordering. Shopping is possible via Instagram posts because they are directly linked to online sale platform. Influencer marketing is given special attention, as well as dedicated content for brand’s channels on social networks.
Everything is completely dedicated to the consumer at any time. For this reason, buying in Sephora is more diverse, more fun, easier and more enjoyable than ever. Thanks to a true passion for innovation, Sephora has built a leading position in digital, and then transferred it to the physical space, improving the consumer experience – which is the basis for loyalty to the store, instead of to one of the many prestigious brands. Because you can find everything elsewhere – everything but that particular energy and feeling that you have while observing more, trying out more, buying (more than you planned). And you enjoy it every time, like a kid in a store of plushy unicorns and colorful candy.