[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/02\/25\/brick-and-mortar-retail-trends\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/02\/25\/brick-and-mortar-retail-trends\/","headline":"I hate shopping. Here are 5 reasons I stand in line at Sephora (Listen up, retailers)","name":"I hate shopping. Here are 5 reasons I stand in line at Sephora (Listen up, retailers)","description":"As countless retailers shutter their physical locations, Sephora is expanding. Learn the brick and mortar retail trends that are contributing to their success.","datePublished":"2020-02-25","dateModified":"2021-12-08","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/sharon-goldman\/#Person","name":"Sharon Goldman","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/sharon-goldman\/","identifier":375,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9eebd6834021cf0fd56c2bc8914605e8ceacdb288e6547052cda5eb176992c0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9eebd6834021cf0fd56c2bc8914605e8ceacdb288e6547052cda5eb176992c0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/thumbnail-38064af18e71ba34a83203e0e67ebf8d.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/thumbnail-38064af18e71ba34a83203e0e67ebf8d.jpeg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/02\/25\/brick-and-mortar-retail-trends\/","about":["B2C Commerce",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/","name":"Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q26643"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/customer-experience-general\/","name":"Customer Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_experience","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q984142"]},"Retail Trends, Data, News",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/trends-commerce\/","name":"Trends","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fad","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q787045"]}],"wordCount":889,"keywords":["B2C Commerce","Best Customer Experience","Brick and Mortar","Direct to Consumer","Drunk Shopping","Future of Retail"],"articleBody":"I hate shopping, especially when it comes to brick-and-mortar retail. Yes, I\u2019m a woman who can\u2019t stand browsing racks or shelves or trying on, well, anything.In my mind, experiences that are comparable to spending a weekend afternoon shopping include:Sitting in rush-hour traffic on the New Jersey TurnpikeDoing a month\u2019s worth of laundry in one sittingGetting a root canalOver the past few years, e-commerce and direct-to-consumer brands have been a boon to my anti-shopping existence: I am a happy customer of Stitch Fix, which has my clothing wants and needs down to an algorithmic level and sends me a \u201cFix\u201d every couple of months.Amazon Prime lands on my doorstep a few times a week with everything from coffee and shoes to drugstore items. I\u2019ve tried digital brands including Everlane and American Giant just so I don\u2019t have to search for T-shirts or hoodies in a physical store.How do you make your in-store retail experience so good that it turns hate into love?Despite my above commentary, guess who schleps herself to the local Sephora store, most recently on a crowded day before (gulp) Christmas Eve?That\u2019s right. Me.Beyond the shocking idea of me parking my car at the mall and walking through a sea of on-the-hunt consumers, you should also know that I’m someone who doesn\u2019t even wear much makeup \u2014 yet enjoys occasionally hanging out at the leading beauty retailer, browsing brands, examining colors, and sampling new options.In addition, I\u2019ve even signed up for Sephora\u2019s email reminders and joined their loyalty program.Trust me, I\u2019m not the only one who feels this way. In fact, as retail chains from Macy\u2019s and Pier 1 to Bed Bath & Beyond are closing stores, the LVMH-owned Sephora is in the midst of a significant expansion that will add up to 100 stores this year, with new retail locations outside of malls in cities like Nashville, Tennessee, and Charlotte, North Carolina.Sephora recently said in a press release that brick and mortar continues to be a “huge opportunity” for the brand in addition to its online sales.How brands can thrive thanks to the brick and mortar retailSo, why is Sephora flourishing while other retailers are floundering?Here are five things that experts say contribute to Sephora\u2019s massive CX success (and certainly helps bring me into the store without kicking and screaming):They invest in a great brick-and-mortar experience:\u00a0Walk in the door at Sephora and you\u2019ll be greeted by knowledgeable, empowered sales associates armed with digital tablets. There are beauty bars offering free makeovers, colorful displays filled with exclusive brands and endless samples, and digital workstations to take classes in contouring cheekbones. The whole environment is about experimentation and play.They have their data sh** together:Recently, I told a Sephora associate that I wanted to replace a blush I had a while back but I couldn\u2019t remember what brand it was. She was easily able to pull up my account on her tablet, remind me what products I had purchased recently (both in the store and on the website) and email me new recommendations. The company famously merged its digital and physical retail teams and reworked customer profiles to feature data that tracks in-store purchases, online browsing and online purchasing patterns and interactions with in-store salespeople, so it\u2019s clear when a customer browses for an item online and then purchases it in a storeThey offer an in-store experience powered by digital:\u00a0Sephora uses digital to truly transform its brick-and-mortar experience. Sephora\u2019s in-store Virtual Artist offers interactive displays for customers to virtually try on everything from lipstick to eyelashes, for example, while its mobile app pushes personalized offers and helps customers scan products in the store to get information on ratings and reviews.They don\u2019t go for the hard sell:\u00a0No one pushes me to buy anything at Sephora, and I often prefer to be ignored and just browse or play with products, though they\u2019re at the ready if I need help. European Sephora stores even offer color-coded baskets that signal whether customers want help or prefer to shop on their own.The loyalty program is simple and actually rewarding:\u00a0Sephora\u2019s Beauty Insider actually offers rewards that I like, such as lipstick or moisturizer, even though I don\u2019t shop often and don\u2019t accumulate many points. For those that do spend big, the program taps into personalized experiences beauty lovers crave, like a Brow House Call, unique choices in its Rewards Bazaar, or a special birthday gift.The bottom line is, brick-and-mortar retail is a complex, shifting business. However, some brands are able to successfully offer a great shopping experience both online and in the store, with the right mix of data-driven technology, digital components, and a human touch.The truth is, I\u2019ll never spend more time at the mall than is absolutely necessary. I\u2019ll continue to await my next Stitch Fix and Amazon Prime order. But Sephora proves that some retailers can make the store worth the schlep.  Relationship status: Complicated.AI in e-commerce is critical, but obstacles around data privacy, talent, and integration are slowing adoption. Our powerhouse panel has the stats + strategies you’re looking for. Register HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2020","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"02","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/02\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"25","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/02\/\/25\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"I hate shopping. 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