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Sephora History - Sephora Middle East

Sephora History

 

Sephora? It’s an Ali Baba cave of beauty!

 

Step into a world of enchantment and discover an Ali Baba’s cave of beauty within each Sephora store! Founded in France in 1969, this chain of cosmetics and perfumes, truly like no other, has been part of the LVMH group since 1997. 

 

Sephora is a unique place that brings beauty within everyone’s reach. It is a unique concept that reinvents the desire to live and dream about beauty every day. It excels at finding creative brands, highlighting trends, shaping aesthetic codes and administering tailor-made advice that hits the target every time.  It offers total freedom to walk in, feel, dream, have fun, experiment and leave without feeling obliged to make a purchase. It stimulates emotion by initiating the pleasure of learning, combined with the discovery of a place, an atmosphere and an attentive ear. With its original products, avant-garde services and innovative communication, Sephora constantly celebrates audacity whilst paving the way for modernity. 

 

To enter a Sephora shop is to discover the latest trends, play in one’s free time, experiment with perfumes, meet up, fall in love with a lipstick, get in a fluster, ask for the moon, surrender yourself to fantasies… and feel happy.

 

For the epitome of beauty at the best price, think Sephora! An audacious brand with 1400 products, Sephora enriches its range every year by adding a minimum of 300 new products.

 

In its quest for pleasure and beauty, Sephora has developed a made-to-measure brand that is recognizable for is affordable prices, as well as for its efficient formulas, spectacular designs and commitment to superior quality. The proof? All of the brand’s products are tested in independent laboratories that strictly comply with worldwide cosmetic regulations. They also conform to environmental, social and ethical charter.


 

 























The Middle East Flagship Store at Dubai Mall



Historical Background:
  • 1970: Creation of the first Sephora Store by the English group Boots on Rue de Passy, Paris, France
  • 1979: Creation of the perfumery concept, Shop 8 by Dominique Mandonnaud.
  • 1993: Shop 8 (11 stores) acquires the chain Sephora (38 stores) from Boots.
  • 1995: Creation of the Sephora brand, based on the color wheel and an iconic line of bath products.
  • 1996: Opening of Sephora Champs Elysees (1500 square meters). The store represents the culmination of the concept of freedom in beauty (the counters are open with self-service products). This is the flagship store of the brand.
  • 1997: LVMH acquires the chain Sephora (53 stores, France and Luxembourg) from Dominique Mandonnaud.
  • 1998: Expansion in Europe with the opening of stores in Poland, Portugal, Spain and Italy.
  • 1998: Opening of the Sephora Triangle in Barcelona (1800sqft), the largest Sephora store in the world.
  • October 1999: Opening of Sephora.com USA. Considered the gold standard in online sales of cosmetics, this site is now the premier Sephora store in the USA in terms of revenue.
  • July 2000: Opening of Sephora in Greece.
  • June 2004 onwards: Arrival of exclusive brands at Sephora in France and Europe, such as American brands: Brandt, StriVectin, Go Smile, Too Faced; French brands: Mlle Bigoudi; Italian brands: Pink Sugar, d’aquolina; Japanese brands: Yu-be and Brazilian brands: amazonsecret.
  • January 2005 onwards: Outreach in shops through expanded services with nailbars and the creation of eyebrow bars.
  • May 2005 onwards: Sephora brand develops exclusive products from famous designers for special occasions– Mother’s Day 2005: Christian Lacroix Online; September 2005, Jean-Paul GaultierT-shirt sold for the benefit of Autism Beyond Borders; Christmas 2005, Online, Chantal Thomass.
  • February 2006: Creation of a promotional film for the cinema.                                                           
  • January 2007: Opening of first Sephora store in the GCC in Bahrain.
  • 2007: Opening of further Sephora stores in UAE, KSA, Qatar, and Oman.                                       
  • September 2007: Opening of Sephora in Turkey.                                                                    
  • September 2008: Opening of Sephora in the Netherlands.