Dive Brief:
- As other businesses shy away from diversity, Sephora premiered its first international film, “Beauty & Belonging,” focused on showcasing diverse perspectives on beauty, the retailer announced Friday. It was directed by filmmaker Anastasia Mikova.
- The documentary features conversations with more than 75 Sephora employees and founders of beauty brands including Makeup by Mario and Glow Recipe. Using the personal stories of the interviewees, the film examines the importance of diverse representation in society, according to the announcement.
- Filmed across eight countries, the documentary debuted during the BrandStorytelling event at Sundance and “reaffirms [Sephora’s] commitment to fostering a world of inspiration and inclusion,” per the press release.
Dive Insight:
Though some, but not all, companies are abandoning DEI policies and initiatives, Sephora is doubling down on its own with the launch of a new film which it says demonstrates its core values of inclusion, diversity and equity.
“At Sephora, everything that we do — from deciding the brands to partner with to hosting large scale events for our loyal community of beauty enthusiasts — is guided by our purpose to champion a world of inspiration and inclusion where everyone can celebrate their beauty,” Jenny Cheah, managing director of Sephora Southeast Asia & Oceania, said in a statement. “Beauty & Belonging has succinctly and powerfully captured that essence.”
With the rise in anti-DEI rhetoric, many companies have rolled back initiatives or softened language around their diversity efforts, which experts have told Retail Dive could lead to lost customers and difficulties recruiting and retaining employees. Sephora has put diversity in the spotlight in recent years and appears to be recommitting to its efforts with this film.
In 2020, following uprisings after the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Sephora joined The 15% Pledge, a commitment that involved allocating 15% of its shelf space to Black-owned businesses. Since then, the retailer’s brand accelerator program, which offers the possibility of selling at Sephora, has focused exclusively on brand founders of color. In 2021, the retailer also released its “Black Beauty is Beauty” ad campaign, a move it made to bring more diversity into its marketing strategy.
Beyond creating space for Black-owned brands, Sephora also took steps to address racial bias within its business. In 2021, the company released a commissioned study on racial bias and subsequently developed an action plan to tackle it across marketing, merchandising, operations, store experience and talent.
Aside from launching its new documentary, Sephora is also giving its fleet of stores a makeover. The company is implementing major and minor redesigns across its more than 700 stores in North America, Artemis Patrick, president and CEO of Sephora North America, said during the National Retail Federation’s Big Show conference earlier this month. The company isn't sure how long the renovations will take, but it anticipates executing most of the makeover over the next five years.
