Sephora

Beauty retail sits at an interesting intersection of the sensory and the digital. Sephora has invested heavily in both — physical store experience, a robust app, AR try-on, loyalty rewards — but the question driving this research was simpler: when a shopper feels confident in a purchase, what made them feel that way?

I combined in-store ethnographic observation with a 120-person survey and follow-up interviews with 8 participants who regularly shop at Sephora, focusing on moments of trust-building, uncertainty, and decision-making across the omnichannel journey.

• Survey (n=120)
• Ethnographic Observation
• Semi-Structured Interviews
• Journey Mapping
• Competitive Analysis

In-store observations were conducted over three visits at a Boston-area Sephora, documenting shopper behavior, interactions with staff, product engagement, and the use of in-store technology. Field notes were coded for recurring themes around confidence and hesitation.

Survey data was analyzed for demographic patterns, channel preference, and trust-building factors. Interview participants were selected to represent a range of experience levels, from beauty novices to enthusiasts with deep category knowledge.

• Trust Hierarchy Shoppers consistently ranked peer reviews (community members with similar skin type or tone) above both brand claims and staff recommendations. User-generated content on the Sephora app was the most trusted in-purchase source.
• Channel Blending 72% of survey respondents reported using their phone while in-store. Parallel digital behavior — checking reviews, comparing prices, looking up tutorials — was the norm, not the exception.
• Expert Gap Shoppers with lower category knowledge reported higher anxiety and a stronger desire for staff interaction, but also lower confidence in whether staff recommendations were genuine or sales-driven.
• Loyalty as Identity Beauty Insider program membership had strong emotional valence — participants talked about tier status with pride. The loyalty program was doing identity work beyond discounts.
• Returns Reduce Risk Sephora's generous return policy was cited unprompted by 6 of 8 interview participants as a key reason they were willing to experiment with unfamiliar products.

The research culminated in a full market research report including an executive summary, methodology documentation, findings with supporting evidence, and a set of strategic recommendations for improving the omnichannel experience — particularly around expert credibility, peer review discoverability, and in-store digital integration.

A customer journey map was produced tracing the research-to-purchase path across four shopper archetypes, highlighting key moments of confidence and friction at each touchpoint.