Blogs >> Technology >>
Sephora Doubles Down On Tech: In-Store iPads, Revamped Website, Pinterest Tie-In
Sephora, the cosmetics retailer, is still best known for its brick-and-mortar shops that let customers test out high-end makeup, skincare and fragrance products with less pressure than typically comes with department store beauty counters. But that doesn’t mean the company, which has its US headquarters in San Francisco, isn’t focused on the increasingly important world of virtual shopping.
To that end, Sephora today rolled out what it’s calling a “social and mobile makeover.” The updates include a newly overhauled website with ultra specific search functionality, spruced up mobile web and iOS app, and a commitment to install iPads in more than 100 of its physical stores this year. The company has also developed an official integration with Pinterest, having added “Pin It” buttons to all of its brand and product pages. In all, it’s pretty big news: Julie Bornstein, the senior vice president of Sephora’s digital operations, tells me that this is the most comprehensive change to the company’s consumer tech side since it launched its first website way back in 1999.
The new updates are obviously pretty visual, so last week we swung by Sephora’s San Francisco flagship store to talk with Bornstein about the company’s strategy. Watch the video above to see why Sephora is embracing the constant comparison-shopping element that the web has brought, how the company’s San Francisco headquarters influences its tech focus, and more.
Sometimes companies embrace when their brands become common nouns.
Perhaps the best example of this is Google, a company created in 1998 when Alta Vista and Yahoo.com were the top online search engines. Google, which created a formula that returned more accurate results than its competitors, became so popular that people began saying "Google" to refer to a Web search, in general. Experts say Google has benefited from its name becoming a part of the lexicon.
"You don't say `Why don't I Google it' and go to Yahoo or Bing," says Jessica Litman, professor of copyright law at the University of Michigan Law School, referring to other search engines.
Apple also has gotten a boost from its brand names becoming synonymous with products. The iPod, which was the first digital music player when it came out in 2001, is still the name people use for "digital music player" or "MP3 player." And it appears Apple's iPad is headed down the same path.
For consumers like Mary Schmidt, 58, the "iPad" is generic for "tablet." Schmidt, a Baltimore marketing executive, owns an iPad and doesn't know the names of any other tablets.
MTS converter
ts converter
To that end, Sephora today rolled out what it’s calling a “social and mobile makeover.” The updates include a newly overhauled website with ultra specific search functionality, spruced up mobile web and iOS app, and a commitment to install iPads in more than 100 of its physical stores this year. The company has also developed an official integration with Pinterest, having added “Pin It” buttons to all of its brand and product pages. In all, it’s pretty big news: Julie Bornstein, the senior vice president of Sephora’s digital operations, tells me that this is the most comprehensive change to the company’s consumer tech side since it launched its first website way back in 1999.
The new updates are obviously pretty visual, so last week we swung by Sephora’s San Francisco flagship store to talk with Bornstein about the company’s strategy. Watch the video above to see why Sephora is embracing the constant comparison-shopping element that the web has brought, how the company’s San Francisco headquarters influences its tech focus, and more.
Sometimes companies embrace when their brands become common nouns.
Perhaps the best example of this is Google, a company created in 1998 when Alta Vista and Yahoo.com were the top online search engines. Google, which created a formula that returned more accurate results than its competitors, became so popular that people began saying "Google" to refer to a Web search, in general. Experts say Google has benefited from its name becoming a part of the lexicon.
"You don't say `Why don't I Google it' and go to Yahoo or Bing," says Jessica Litman, professor of copyright law at the University of Michigan Law School, referring to other search engines.
Apple also has gotten a boost from its brand names becoming synonymous with products. The iPod, which was the first digital music player when it came out in 2001, is still the name people use for "digital music player" or "MP3 player." And it appears Apple's iPad is headed down the same path.
For consumers like Mary Schmidt, 58, the "iPad" is generic for "tablet." Schmidt, a Baltimore marketing executive, owns an iPad and doesn't know the names of any other tablets.
MTS converter
ts converter
|
|
