Nina Jobst
Research expert covering South Korea
Sephora - statistics & facts
Most beauty aficionados have their favorite shop where they can browse through the aisle, discover new product launches, and test and try the items they are interested in, and for many, this place is Sephora.
The French retailer was founded over 50 years ago and thanks to its widespread presence in more than 30 countries and a great number of stores, it is now one of the leading shopping destinations for beauty supplies. In the late 90’s, Sephora became part of the company Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) and expanded its activity to the United States, with the opening of its first shop in New York. In the following years, Sephora managed to enter many other markets, including the Middle East and Canada.
Sephora’s impact
In 2024, Sephora boasted almost 17 billion U.S. dollars in worldwide sales, of which nearly nine billion was generated in the United States. These outstanding results led Sephora to be listed in a ranking of the leading health and beauty retailers in the North American country. However, Sephora is also very popular in its country of origin, taking up the first spot as French beauty consumers' favorite brand in 2024.Young consumers and the Sephora frenzy
Sephora has recently been in the news as a result of the abundance of beauty lovers and influencers belonging to Generation Alpha, who appear to be very interested in prestige brands such as Drunk Elephant, and have caused controversy thanks to their behavior inside the retailer's shops. However, Sephora has always been a favorite of younger generations: according to a recent survey, it is in fact the leading beauty shopping destination among Gen Z in the U.S., followed by Ulta Beauty and Bath & Body Works.
