Glam Fairy

Ch. 6 - Consumer Decision Making

Sephora thrives as the leading cosmetic retailer in North America because Sephora has always adopted the policy of putting consumer satisfaction first, and allowing consumers to make an informed decision when purchasing a product. Consumers are free to browse the company’s website and learn about products through consumer reviews. Consumers are given the freedom to post their review of a product they had purchased, whether good or bad. Thousands of reviews are posted daily onto the website, giving other consumers insight as to how a product performs and enabling them to make an informed decision on whether to purchase the product or not. On Sephora’s website sephora.com, professionally produced videos called "Sephora TV" are posted to inform consumers how products work; all demonstrations are done by a professional makeup artist of the respective brand. 

Also “Beauty Talk” a tab on the website offers expert advice to consumers through a beauty forum where women can ask any beauty related questions and get expert answers from professionals in the beauty industry. On the forum consumers can get expert skincare and makeup advice in order to help them make the best decision as to which product is right for them. Sephora goes above and beyond to keep their customers happy and informed, because they know that a happy customer is a loyal costumer. Sephora’s website also have a tab “Hot Now”, which tells consumers what product is trendy right now which give consumers suggestions, rich visual content, and explanations of products from the consumer’s perspective. Having these features on the website provides value to consumers through access to information and visuals.

What sets apart sephora from its competitors is their ability to track customers buying habits. The company collects data from the company’s website and consumer’s beauty insider loyalty card to determine which brand of products that each consumer buys. The company then uses this information to target specific campaigns and promotions to certain consumers, thus better serving its customers and also increasing the effectiveness of their marketing strategy.