We have seen that the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color and highlighted the existing inequalities in our country. George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor are sadly only a few examples of recent violence against the Black and African American communities, adding to the difficulties these communities are already facing. We will continue financially to support organizations that fight for equality and racial justice. We will continue to listen to our Equity Advisors who are working on the front lines to advocate for a better society. And we will continue to look for ways to improve and evolve our policies and practices as a retail organization.
Jean-André Rougeot (President & CEO - Sephora)
May 30, 2020

Commitments

ProgramPractice
  • Since Sephora’s commitment to the 15 Percent Pledge to dedicate 15 percent of our shelf space to Black-owned companies, Sephora launched its latest Black-owned brand, BREAD BEAUTY SUPPLY, offering hair-care basics for kinky and coily hair. Sephora’s aim is to launch three additional Black-owned brands in Q1, with the goal of doubling the company’s assortment by the end of 2021.
  • Sephora commits to incubate BIPOC-founded brands through Sephora Accelerate, a six-plus-month-long internal incubation program dedicated to building a community of innovative BIPOC founders in beauty in order to grow the pipeline of BIPOC-led businesses in the industry. This spring, Sephora will launch its  2021 cohort of eight brand founders.

Learn more about Sephora’s Diversity & Inclusion Heart Journey here. 

  • Sephora has taken the 15 Percent Pledge to dedicate 15 percent of store shelf space to Black-owned companies.
  • Sephora is committed to the recruitment of and support for employees of color, starting with new resource toolkits for hiring managers, expanded partnerships with associations dedicated to the advancement of underrepresented talent, incorporation of diversity, inclusion, and equity goals as part of annual performance metrics for all corporate team members, and 100 percent compliance with foundational unconscious bias training for all new hires. The company is increasing the frequency and depth of employee trainings and adding new modules that offer strategies to identify bias and foster inclusive behaviors in the workplace.
  • The company has focused on its giving strategy which combines Sephora-funded donations with a deeper collaboration with nonprofits. Each month, the company features key nonprofits within its marketing channels, building awareness for their efforts to drive equity and inclusion, and inviting clients to join the company.
  • In 2021, Sephora will be donating to 12 equity-focused organizations across the US, including national organizations such as The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National CARES Mentoring Movement’ National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), UnidosUS, and National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC).
  • Sephora commits to including people of all abilities in its workforce, especially distribution centers.
  • Sephora is proud to offer career opportunities to underserved talent pools and to foster a more inclusive workplace for all. Sephora’s distribution centers are leading the way by creating accessible environments that welcome talent with disabilities. By the end of 2021, people with disabilities will account for 12 percent of the workforce in distribution centers.

Partnerships

Equity Advisors and Partners

Sephora is proud of the partnership with its Equity Advisors and Partners, an advisory group Sephora has created consisting of leading individuals and top social justice and civil rights organizations who work at the intersection of race, equity, and culture. Their counsel helps shape Sephora’s work on equity and the way the company shows up as a retailer in the beauty industry and beyond.

Equity partners include:

  • The National CARES Mentoring Movement
  • The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
  • The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
  • The National Coalition for Black Civic Participation/Black Women’s Roundtable (NCBCP/BWR)
  • The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
  • The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC).

Highlights

Sephora commits to producing and sharing content that speaks to all of its clients. That means Sephora is taking crucial steps to:

• Increase the amount of Spanish-language content across social channels
• Incorporate closed-captioning throughout all Sephora-produced IGTV content
• Design #SephoraSquad, an influencer program, with the aim of celebrating the most diverse and inspiring voices in the beauty industry regardless of follower size
• Recognize the company’s diverse clients and employees across social media through video series on stories of belonging and other relevant touchpoints.