Key takeaways
- Sephora faced the task of reducing checkout friction and enhancing Beauty Advisor productivity
- Accepting contactless payments with Tap to Pay on iPhone helps Sephora empower Beauty Advisors with time for personalized engagements, driving efficiency
- The implementation enhanced customer satisfaction for Sephora, marked by shortened checkout times, elevated Beauty Advisor productivity and a surge in top-line sales growth
Sephora, a beauty and cosmetics industry trailblazer, has long been synonymous with exceptional customer experiences. By working with J.P. Morgan Payments to introduce Tap to Pay on iPhone in Sephora stores, Sephora reduced in-store checkout times and empowered Beauty Advisors to elevate customer engagement.
The opportunity
Sephora recognized the need to optimize its in-store checkout experience to meet the evolving expectations of its customers in the US and Canada. Longer lines during peak shopping times can be a challenge for both customer experience and for Sephora’s Beauty Advisors by limiting their ability to engage in meaningful consultations and cross-selling opportunities.
“Now that we are working with J.P. Morgan Payments on Tap to Pay on iPhone, we give the flexibility to our Beauty Advisors to check out people everywhere in the store.”
Stefan Jensen
Senior Vice President, Business Planning and Analysis, Sephora North America
The solution
Leveraging omnichannel expertise, technology and solutions from J.P. Morgan Payments, Sephora transformed its checkout experience with Tap to Pay on iPhone, enabling its Beauty Advisors to accept contactless payments anywhere in-store — with only an iPhone. Stefan Jensen, Senior Vice President, Business Planning and Analysis, Sephora North America, shared that this solution not only reduced wait times, but also freed up valuable time for Beauty Advisors to focus on providing personalized recommendations and expert advice.
- Driving sales with seamless transactions: Jensen shared that by enabling Tap to Pay on iPhone, Sephora saw an increase in the in-store average basket value and achieved double-digit organic year-over-year sales growth1
- Shaping the future of retail payments: The omnichannel experience is rated as one of the most crucial factors for client satisfaction and with Tap to Pay on iPhone, Sephora can offer customers the best in-store shopping and checkout
experience2 - Secure and private transactions: The privacy and security of
Tap to Pay on iPhone align with Sephora’s commitment to
security, reinforcing trust and brand reputation
-
Accept all types of in-person contactless payments anytime, anywhere
-
Accept physical debit and credit cards, Apple Pay and other digital wallets
-
Use the built-in security and privacy features of iPhone to help keep customer data private and secure
“Finding the balance between making our experience happen with the right security in place is critical for us,” shared Jensen. “The payment experts at J.P. Morgan Payments advise us on how we can make our experience become reality.”
U.S. merchant success |
535+ |
American Sephora stores equipped with Tap to Pay on iPhone3 |
First-mover advantage |
#1 |
First J.P. Morgan enterprise merchant in Canada4 |
Organic growth |
Double-digits |
In year-over-year sales4 |
Canada rollout |
125+ |
Canadian Sephora stores enabling Tap to Pay on iPhone5 |
The results
According to Jensen, customers can avoid long lines at checkout counters, leading to a significant improvement in overall satisfaction levels. By enabling contactless payments anywhere in-store, Beauty Advisors can devote more time to engaging with customers, resulting in enhanced cross-selling opportunities and increased basket values.
Through its collaboration with J.P. Morgan Payments, Sephora has set a new standard for speed, convenience and security. By enabling innovative solutions like Tap to Pay on iPhone, Sephora has demonstrated its commitment to customer satisfaction and an ability to adapt to the ever-changing demands of the modern retail landscape. Learn more about our payments solutions.
About
Sephora is the world's leading global prestige beauty retail brand. With 52,000 passionate employees operating in 34 markets, Sephora connects customers and beauty brands within the world's most trusted and dynamic beauty community. They serve a highly engaged community of hundreds of millions of beauty followers across their global omnichannel network of more than 3,000 stores and iconic flagships, and their e-commerce and digital platforms, offering personalized and immersive seamless experiences across every touchpoint. With their curation of close to 500 brands and our their label, Sephora Collection, they offer the most unique and diverse range of prestige beauty products, tailored to their customers' needs from fragrance to make-up, haircare, skincare and beyond, as they constantly reimagine the world of prestige beauty. Since their inception in 1969 in Limoges, France, and as part of the LVMH Group since 1997, they have been disrupting the prestige beauty retail industry. Today, they continue to break with convention to drive their mission to expand the way the world sees beauty and empower the extraordinary in each of us.6
References
Stefan Jensen, Senior Vice President, Business Planning and Analysis, Sephora North America. Personal interview with J.P. Morgan Payments. April 2024
J.P. Morgan Payments. (2023, October 30). Powering the future of personalized shopping with innovative payments. Forbes
Yahoo Finance. “J.P. Morgan and Sephora Extend Partnership to Enable Tap to Pay on iPhone.” Yahoo Finance
Stefan Jensen, Senior Vice President, Business Planning and Analysis, Sephora North America. Personal interview with J.P. Morgan Payments. April 2024
JPMorgan Chase & Co. “Tap to Pay on iPhone: Canada Expansion.” J.P. Morgan
Disclaimer
© 2024 JPMorgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Deposits held in non-U.S. branches are not FDIC insured. Non-deposit products are not FDIC insured. The statements herein are confidential and proprietary and not intended to be legally binding. Not all products and services are available in all geographical areas. Visit jpmorgan.com/paymentsdisclosure for further disclosures and disclaimers related to this content
Tap to Pay on iPhone requires a supported payment app and the latest version of iOS. Update to the latest version by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Tap Download and Install. Some contactless cards may not be accepted by your payment app. Transaction limits may apply. The Contactless Symbol is a trademark owned by and used with permission of EMVCo, LLC. Tap to Pay on iPhone is not available in all markets. View Tap to Pay on iPhone countries and regions (https://developer.apple.com/tap-to-pay/regions/).
