Dive Brief:
- The Sephoria House of Beauty event held by the beauty retailer is returning this year in a hybrid format on Sep. 29 and 30, according to a press release. At the in-person event this year, at the Skylight at Essex Crossing in Lower Manhattan in New York City, attendees will have the opportunity to try exclusive products, participate in hands-on experiences and hear from surprise guests.
- The yearly event initially was held in-person in 2018 but had to transition online after the pandemic. For the virtual portion of this year’s event, attendees can log onto an immersive 3D gaming-like platform with customizable avatars and get the chance to redeem a unique free NFT among other features. Virtual attendants can also chat live with a Sephora Beauty Advisor and play games to earn points toward Sephora’s Beauty Insider loyalty program.
- For the in-person event, Sephora is offering two tiers of ticket options: Silver Key is $99 per session and Gold Key is $349 per session, with prices increasing to $119 and $369, respectively, on Aug.4.
Dive Insight:
As the event returns, debuting its first ever hybrid format, this year also is the 25th anniversary of Sephora stores in the U.S. More than 50 brands, including Drunk Elephant, Nars and Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez, are participating in the Sephoria event and providing exclusive content. All in-person attendees will receive a swag bag of full-size products from participating brands with the bags' value based on ticket tiers. Virtual registration is free and offers a swag bag of travel-size items available for $65.
“While we’re grateful for the return to an in-person experience, we also recognize the importance of making these events inclusive and broadly accessible to our global beauty community and will do so with free virtual components that are equally enriching,” Jessica Stacey, senior vice president of external communications, event and experiential marketing at Sephora, said in a statement. “We can’t wait to debut our biggest event endeavor yet and deliver on an unforgettable beauty experience in partnership with many of the world’s best brands.”
Beauty Insider members can receive special perks for the Sephoria event. The company is incorporating its loyalty program by allowing virtual attendees to earn Beauty Insider points and giving Rouge-status members earlier registration access.
Sephora’s loyalty efforts are frequently updated by the brand, with some past updates releasing within just a few months after the previous one. From perks such as the birthday gift to Beauty Insider Cash, the points and tier system give more benefits the higher a customer ranks. The Beauty Insider tiers are as follows: Insider, VIB and Rouge. There are currently 31 million rewards members in the U.S.
The creation of virtual worlds by brands is a common move in recent years, especially as the metaverse trend continues. Beauty brands in particular like Tatcha, Laneige and more have featured their own metaverse spaces in the past. During Metaverse Fashion Week, Tommy Hilfiger debuted its multi-metaverse hub, showcasing both physical and digital wearables. Just like Sephoria, it's an example of both the physical and virtual worlds of retail coming together for one event with offerings in both spaces.
