Grace Cao’s Post

Something so cool just happened. I recently coached a team to build the confidence required to nail their first Sephora & ULTA presentations. The team members were junior. They had minimal retailer presentation experience so fear was high and confidence was low. I get what that’s like walking into the boardroom with all eyes on you. I did my first pitch to Sephora when I was 24. I remember the nerves the night before. I remember the what if’s flooding me. But instead of indulging in the fear, I shifted into excitement & possibility. I helped this team do the same. When we started working together, the team was thinking ⤵️ ❓What if we mess up? ❓What if we forget what we are supposed to say? ❓What if they think we are idiots? ❓What if the tech doesn’t work? ❓What if the product samples don’t arrive in time? After our time together, they shifted into thinking ⤵️ ⚡️No matter what happens - We’ve got this⚡️ Fear, doubt & insecurity are feelings that subconsciously eat away at the confidence required to stand in front of a room to present with authority. What I help women do is shift out subconscious confidence killing behavior and into self belief & trust. ⚡️When you believe you can, you will. ⚡️When you trust you can make it happen, you will make it happen. ➡️ For this team, they led with a huge dose of belief and trust which created the result of NAILING the presentation to get the retailer buy in. They now have a launch date and are prepping to go live. I am so proud of them and their willingness to get the support needed to succeed. Do you and your team need the same support? If so - I am here for you 💝 PS: Enjoy this throwback pic to little 24 year old me who was flooded with excitement as I was about to do my first Sephora Market Week Presentation. Sending so much love to that version of myself who bravely stepped up to the plate & presented to a room of 30+ Sephora team members & buyers. I just remember thinking how ready I was for that moment and how thrilled I was that this dream was coming true at such a young age 🤩🙌🥳

SEPHORA Recently I hosted a virtual moment to pause with my colleagues and have some virtual fun together. Celebrating wins, big or small is so impactful. Each victory, no matter its size, is a testament to our hard work, resilience, and commitment. It's not just about reaching the finish line, but also appreciating the journey that got us there. 2023 was a year that shed light on new opportunities, changes and obstacles for our team. Celebrations foster a sense of accomplishment and boost morale, but they also play a crucial role in strengthening our collaborative relationships. They remind us that our successes are not achieved in isolation, but through the collective effort of a dedicated team. Having fun together isn't just an added bonus, it's a key driver in achieving our goals. Shared laughter and joy create a bond that fosters a sense of unity that is truly invaluable. Here you can see my teams findings after I told them to race and find something blue in our "Find Something" game. Don't mind my face, I was focused on capturing the moment haha. We spent time diving further into our Gallup strengths and how they show up in the way we work. We had some fun in sharing some favourite personal stories and ended with some friendly competition. Mikala Medeiros, M.Ed.Vanessa Savanh Abeha Ali Let's continue to celebrate our wins, elevate our relationships, and remember to have fun along the way. Because together, we are stronger, more resilient, and capable of achieving great things. #sephora #sephoralife #greatplacetowork #collaboration #resilience #Teamwork #Success #Celebration"

Ulta Vs Sephora The eternal debate of Ulta vs Sephora has beauty enthusiasts worldwide pondering which beauty retail giant reigns supreme. Ulta Beauty stands out for its diverse range of drugstore and high-end brands, offering a one-stop-shop for beauty aficionados on any budget. With a focus on inclusivity, Ulta caters to a broad customer base, making beauty accessible to all. On the other hand, Sephora boasts a curated selection of premium beauty brands, providing a luxurious shopping experience for those seeking high-quality products and expert beauty advice. The two beauty giants each bring their unique charm to the cosmetic realm, offering a diverse array of products and shopping experiences to cater to every beauty need and desire. Ultimately, the choice between Ulta and Sephora often boils down to personal preferences, budget, and the specific beauty brands one gravitates towards. https://lnkd.in/dSSYqQAP

Sephora removed all the perfumes from its shelves in the market. This has raised concerns about shoplifting. It showed Sephora’s decision to ensure the safety and security of employees and consumers. Sephora in 1998 challenged the traditional beauty retail landscape, where customers could explore products independently, experimenting and immersing themselves in the cosmetics. However, the recent shift forced us to reconsider the balance between autonomy and human interaction in the shopping experience. While the hands-on approach offered a sense of privacy, there's an argument for the warmth of human connection during the purchase of these intimate luxuries. In the past perfume shopping involved meaningful interactions with salespeople and helped ponder the role of human touch in our retail experiences. So could a return to a more interactive model enhance the overall satisfaction of acquiring these little luxuries? The choice between self-sufficiency and a more engaging approach shows how we connect with our cherished bottles of fragrance. Do you prefer shopping for perfumes online or offline? #perfumery

BEAUTY RETAIL ✨ Over the past month, various retail installations have emerged for various brands, ranging from pop-up stores to grand openings. Take a sneak peek into the recent endeavors of renowned names like Glossier, Inc. , SEPHORA , Typology , and Burberry! Each brand brings a distinct touch, significantly shaping the beauty landscape. (I know it's not a beauty case, but I couldn't help but mention Burberry, having seen their captivating display this weekend!) As a result, each one deserves its own in-depth case study. 🛍️ Which brand would you like to dive into first? #beauty #retail #marketing #branding

SEPHORA is offering a game-changing opportunity, and we want YOU to seize it, but time’s almost up! Tag a Black beauty founder who NEEDS to see this! Let’s uplift and empower the beauty innovators among us. 💄✨ #FifteenPercentPledge #SephoraBeautyGrant #BlackBeautyFounders #BusinessGrants #GrantsforBlackBusinesses

Farewell to Sephora in South Korea: Reflecting on beauty retail trends. In recent news, Sephora announced on their social media accounts,"With heavy hearts, Sephora has decided to terminate its operations in Korea." As a beauty enthusiast, Sephora's presence in Seoul was significant, offering accessibility, diversity, and a wide range of international brands. During my time living in Seoul in 2021, Sephora provided a new world of excitement. I was thrilled to see brands like Fenty Beauty available for the first time in Korea, offering more variety in shade ranges for people with darker skin tones. However, Sephora's decision to leave South Korea wasn't solely about financial losses—it reflects a broader shift in the beauty retail landscape. Local competitors like Olive Young and Chicor have been dominating the market with their extensive range of K-beauty products, challenging international retailers like Sephora to adapt or bow out. As we bid farewell to Sephora in South Korea, it raises important questions about the future of beauty retail in the country. How will local retailers continue to innovate and meet the evolving needs of beauty enthusiasts, particularly in terms of diversity in product offerings and shade ranges? Whether you're a beauty lover or a casual observer, I invite you to join the conversation and share your thoughts on what Sephora's exit means for the future of beauty retail in South Korea. 💬✨ #𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗮 #𝗸𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆 #𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 #𝗰𝗼𝘀𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 Picture by Sephora via Fashion United 📷

🎉 One quality of companies that maximize the business impact of their employees: they ensure their workforce reflects their customer base. Kudos to SEPHORA for leaning into this business truth, which has helped it deliver record profitability. "The surge in diverse leaders (at Sephora) comes as the beauty retailer notched some $19.4 billion in revenue last year, making it one of LVMH’s most profitable subsidiaries. Sephora appears poised to tap into a financially powerful and loyal buying market. Consumers of color in the U.S. hold nearly $3.9 trillion in purchasing power, with Black Americans alone spending $6.6 billion on beauty in 2021." #BusinessPerformance #BusinessInsights #BusinessImpact https://lnkd.in/gsbVtWfB

SEPHORA is worth $37 billion but history can’t pinpoint its origin. (Statista) This French brand synonymous with luxury beauty has 2,500+ stores in 32 countries. And now this retail brand and global powerhouse have come to India. The name "Sephora" itself is derived from Greek. It means "beautiful." It reflects the brand's evolving focus beyond perfumes to all things beauty. The whispers began in 1969 and 1970. Some say that's when Sephora first came onto the scene, but historians claim it was later. In 1970, Dominique Mandonnaud, a painter-turned-perfumer, revolutionized fragrance shopping with a self-service approach. Customers could test before they bought, unheard of at the time! When we take a look at its history and success story, one thing's for sure: →It wasn't born with the iconic "S." Earlier, it wore a different name, then another, before Boots snatched it up in 1970. →Fast forward to 1979, and a glimmer of truth emerges from a dusty list of companies. One of them was "Es Sua," a store selling toiletries and cosmetics that belongs to Boots. This Es Sua has a connection to Sephora's family tree. →Beauty Genesis SA, the “unofficial” parent company, added another layer to this puzzle. The twist lies in 1897 with Nouvelle Gallery. A Parisian chain that turned into a French fragrance brand. →By 1972, however, financial woes cast a shadow over its success. But Sephora rose in 1973. Yet, Nouvelle Gallery's ghost lingered. Profits dwindled, staff vanished, and by 1978, the chain faced its final curtain. So, where does this leave us? With a beauty giant whose backstory is as captivating as its future. Can you crack this code? Leave your best guesses in the comments. #brands #sephora #retail

My love for SEPHORA as a brand is no secret. I’ve always admired their loyalty program and how beautifully they stay true to their vision and mission in everything they do. Recently, Anuja K from Vajro shared a photo of a Sephora store that she took from The Dubai Mall. This inspired me to dive deeper into their strategies and brand values. Over the last two days, I’ve been assessing all of Sephora’s prominent channels and customer touchpoints, curating them into a swipe file. It’s almost ready, I’ll share the link to the files in a series of posts. Sephora shows us that brand loyalty doesn’t emerge from just a loyalty program. It’s a culmination of every single interaction and experience the customer has with your brand. The more I dig into their strategies, the more I believe that Sephora is a living demonstration of this quote: When women support each other, incredible things happen. In life, in business, in everything <3