Sephora
| File:Sephora logo.svg | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (personal care and beauty products) |
| Founded | 1 January 1969 in Limoges, France |
| Founder | Dominique Mandonnaud |
| Headquarters | Neuilly-sur-Seine , France |
Area served | Worldwide (34 countries) |
Key people | Artemis Patrick (CEO, 2024–present) |
| Products | Makeup, skincare, fragrances, nail polish, beauty accessories, body care, haircare products |
| Owner | LVMH |
Number of employees | Not specified |
| Parent | LVMH |
| Website | www |
Sephora is a global French retailer specializing in personal care and beauty products, featuring nearly 340 different brands along with its proprietary line, the Sephora Collection. Its offerings encompass makeup, skincare, fragrances, nail polish, beauty accessories, body care items, and haircare products.
Established in Limoges, France in 1969 by Dominique Mandonnaud, Sephora's corporate headquarters are now based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Since its acquisition by luxury group LVMH in 1996, the company has expanded to around 2,700 stores across 34 countries and reported revenue exceeding US$10 billion in 2019.
History
Sephora made its debut in Paris in August 1970, deriving its name from the biblical character Zipporah (French: Séphora), who was the wife of Moses.
In 1993, Dominique Mandonnaud took ownership of Sephora and merged it with his existing perfume retail chain under the unified Sephora brand. He introduced the innovative "assisted self-service" retail concept at Sephora, allowing customers to experiment with products before purchasing—a significant departure from conventional cosmetic store formats.
Throughout the 1990s, Mandonnaud drove Sephora’s growth by inaugurating its flagship store on the Champs Élysées in 1997. Later that same year, he and his associates sold Sephora to LVMH, which accelerated international growth and diversified its beauty product portfolio. The brand expanded into Middle Eastern markets in 2007 by opening more than 44 locations within the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, complemented by an online shopping platform and strengthened collaborations with exclusive regional brands.
In October 2023, Artemis Patrick was appointed President of Sephora North America and subsequently succeeded Jean-André Rougeot as CEO by April 2024, becoming the first woman to hold this position.
Sephora launched its initial U.S. store in New York City in 1998, followed by its first Canadian outlet in Toronto in 2004, and entered the Australian market in 2014. Its North American headquarters are situated in New York City, with additional corporate offices located in San Francisco and Montréal. The company manages over 430 retail locations throughout North America.
On August 26, 2016, Sephora celebrated the opening of its 400th store in North America on Chicago’s prestigious Magnificent Mile, marking it as the city's flagship location.
On March 31, 2017, Sephora unveiled its largest North American store near Herald Square in New York City. Covering roughly 11,380 square feet and offering more than 13,000 products, this site is among six Sephora TIP Workshop venues providing interactive customer experiences; other locations include San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Santa Clara Valley, and Toronto.
On November 19, 2018, Sephora secured a long-term lease at Thor Equities’ Town Square Metepec retail center in Mexico.
In April 2019, after allegations of racial profiling made by R&B artist SZA, Sephora closed all of its stores on June 5 to conduct company-wide diversity training as part of the "We Belong To Something Beautiful" initiative launched later that year.
On July 26, 2021, Sephora announced the acquisition of UK-based online luxury beauty retailer Feelunique.com from Palamon Capital Partners. Established in 2005 with a customer base exceeding 1.3 million active users and offering over 35,000 products from more than 800 brands, Feelunique was reportedly acquired for around £132 million.
In July 2024, Sephora introduced a summer-themed pop-up collaboration featuring body care brand Sol de Janeiro.
Operations
Sephora introduced its e-commerce platform in the United States in 1999, followed by the launch of its Canadian online store in 2003. The Canadian headquarters commenced operations in February 2007, initially led by Marie-Christine Marchives, who later assumed the role of general manager for Sephora France in 2010 and was succeeded by Klaus Ryum-Larsen. Presently, Sephora manages more than 2,300 retail locations across 33 countries, generating approximately $4 billion in revenue as of 2013. The flagship store on Paris's Champs Élysées welcomes over six million visitors each year. In July 2022, Sephora collaborated with Afterpay to introduce a payment option that allows customers to split purchases into four installments.
In November 2022, Sephora Canada marked a milestone with the inauguration of its 100th store. Looking ahead to 2024, Sephora revealed plans to open its fourth UK outlet at Eldon Square Shopping Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Brands
Sephora offers beauty products from an extensive portfolio exceeding 300 brands, including names such as Tatcha, Huda Beauty, and Bobbi Brown. The company also promotes its proprietary Sephora Collection, encompassing makeup, skincare, tools, and accessories, with refreshed branding that highlights both quality and affordability.
Among its notable partnerships are fragrance lines from Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s Elizabeth and James brand, essential oils by Coto Beauty Cosmetics, and a makeup collaboration launched in 2013 with Marc Jacobs. In June 2020, Maddie Ziegler teamed up with Morphe to release a collection available at Sephora Canada. By 2023, Sephora became the first retailer in the U.S. to carry Luna Daily, a brand specializing in feminine hygiene and cosmetics. Expanding its K-beauty range in February 2025, Sephora added Biodance products such as popular sheet masks and toner pads both online and in physical stores.
Sephora inside JCPenney
Starting in October 2006, Sephora began establishing smaller-format stores within JCPenney locations. These outlets featured many of the same skincare, makeup, and fragrance brands found in standalone Sephora stores along with their own exclusive product lines. Typically occupying around 1,500 square feet, these shops numbered over 600 nationwide by 2017. However, that year JCPenney announced plans to close 138 stores, including several housing Sephora boutiques. The partnership concluded in 2020 when both companies chose not to renew their agreement; subsequently, JCPenney launched its own beauty concept while Sephora entered into a new collaboration with Kohl’s.
Sephora inside Kohl's
In December 2020, Sephora revealed intentions to open mini Sephora shops inside Kohl’s stores with a goal of reaching approximately 850 locations by 2023. The initial four Sephora at Kohl’s outlets debuted in August 2021. By 2023, this partnership generated sales exceeding $1.4 billion and is projected to surpass $2 billion by 2025. Plans for summer 2024 include opening roughly 140 additional small-format shops across 40 states, increasing the total number of locations to over 1,000.
Subscription service
Sephora introduced Play! By Sephora in August 2015—a monthly subscription offering sample-sized skincare, makeup, or haircare products for $10 USD per month. Initially piloted in Boston, Columbus, and Cincinnati during September 2015, the program expanded nationwide throughout the US by 2016. Each box included a collectible pouch along with products customized according to customer preferences. In April 2020, Sephora discontinued PLAY! and replaced it with Sephora Luxe—a monthly curated sample experience without requiring a subscription model.
Sephora in UAE, Bahrain, and KSA
Sephora UAE and KSA function as regional branches managed from their Middle East headquarters, which were founded by Pierre Fayard in February 2006. Since 2007, the brand has launched more than 30 outlets throughout the UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait, showcasing luxury labels such as Christian Dior and Laura Mercier within contemporary retail settings. The inaugural store in the Middle East debuted in Seef Mall, Bahrain, in January 2007, followed by a location at Festival City, UAE, in March 2007. The Dubai Mall branch, which opened in December 2008, was recognized as Sephora’s leading global store by 2022.
Jacques Levy, the former CEO, targeted a network of 100 stores by 2010; however, the financial downturn of 2008 hindered this growth. Levy resigned in 2011 and passed away the following year. Despite these challenges, Sephora expanded with over 30 additional outlets and launched its regional e-commerce platform in November 2016. In December 2017, Sephora unveiled Gifts Beauty Park in Dubai—the world’s first beauty-themed amusement park—offering immersive experiences with expert makeup artists. Guillaume Motte was appointed president of Sephora Europe and Middle East in March 2018.
Product Range
Sephora’s outlets across the Middle East present a mix of global brands alongside regional names like Shiffa Dubai Skin Care and Huda Beauty. As reported by Forbes, Huda Kattan’s Dubai-based Huda Beauty emerged as the best-selling cosmetic line at Sephora Middle East in 2018.
Acquisitions
In the year 2000, Sephora.com purchased Eve.com’s assets for a substantial six-figure amount.
Legal Issues
On November 18, 2014, a class action lawsuit was initiated by four customers alleging that Sephora engaged in racial discrimination by suspending rewards accounts belonging to Asian customers. The accusation stated that these accounts were targeted for bulk buying intended for resale. Sephora identified accounts for deactivation based on email domains including @qq.com (Tencent), @126.com, and @163.com (NetEase).