Sephora 1690149 225078253 2008-07-11T19:46:44Z ArkansasTraveler 104574 /* External links */ {{Expand|date=April 2008}} '''Sephora''' is a chain of [[beauty product]] stores founded in [[France]] in [[1969]] and acquired by Paris-based conglomerate [[LVMH]] in [[1997]]. ==Name & logo == Sephora is the [[Greek language|Greek]] form of [[Zipporah|'''Tzipporah''']] '''צִפּוֹרָה''', which means "bird" (female) in [[Hebrew]], and was the name of the wife of [[Moses]] in the book of [[Exodus]]. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.keyway.ca/htm2001/20010128.htm |title=Zipporah Bible Study | last=Blank | first=Wayne |accessdate=2007-09-18 |format= |work= }}</ref> The Sephora logo is a white vertically elongated "S" against a black background. == Overview == The Sephora chain includes more than 750 stores in 21 countries. It carries over 250 brands of extremely popular items that include [[makeup]], [[skin care]], [[fragrance]], [[bathing|bath]], and hair products, and beauty accessories, including Sephora's own moderately-priced [[private label]]. The chain targets a fairly upscale market of affluent customers in all age groups.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The leading retail beauty chain in Europe, Sephora opened its first US store in New York in 1997<ref name="sephora">[http://www.sephora.com/help/about_sephora.jhtml Sephora.com: About Sephora]</ref>. Its [[North America]]n headquarters are located in [[San Francisco]] with marketing offices in [[New York City]]. With triple digit growth for the last five years, Sephora is one of the fastest growing retailers in the US{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. Sephora is known for their sampling program and for their lenient 60-day return policy. In [[2004]], it also started to operate in [[Canada]].<ref name="sephora" /> In [[1999]], Sephora launched its online shop Sephora.com<ref name="sephora" />, now available in 9 countries.<ref>[http://www.sephora.com/international.jhtml Sephora.com: International]</ref> In [[April 2006]], Sephora joined forces with [[JCPenney]] to sell cosmetics in its stores. The JCPenney version of Sephora will be a "store within a store" concept. <ref name="JCPenney">[http://ir.jcpenney.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=70528&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=841663&highlight= JCPenney press release announcing Sephora partnership]</ref> The first five "Sephora Inside JCPenney" stores opened in [[October 2006]], and the rollout will continue throughout [[2007]] and [[2008]]. Cannon Equipment located in Rosemount, MN will be supplying the Sephora perimeter fixtures, and Sephora interior gondola fixtures for the "store within a store" locations. Four seasonal catalogs are available to clientèle by mail and within stores. Special catalogs promoting holiday cosmetics or skincare catalogs are also published. They can be viewed online. == International presence == The Sephora chain has stores in: * [[France]] (where the brand was born in 1969) * [[Canada]] (first shop opened in [[Toronto]] in 2004) * [[China]] * [[Czech Republic]] (since 2002) * [[Greece]] (since 2000) * [[Italy]] (since 1998) * [[Luxembourg]] (since 1996) * [[Monaco]] (since 1996) * [[the Netherlands]] (since 2008 inside [[Vroom & Dreesmann]] department stores) * [[Poland]] (since 1999) * [[Portugal]] (since 1998) * [[Romania]] (since 2000) * [[Russia]] (since 2003) * [[Serbia]] (since 2007) * [[Croatia]] (since 2007) * [[Slovak Republic]] (since 2007) * [[Spain]] (first shop opened in 1998 in [[Madrid]]) * [[Turkey]] (since 2007) * [[United States]] (first shop opened in [[1997]] in [[New York City]]) * [[United Arab Emirates]] (opened on [[8 March]] [[2007]] in Dubai Festival City) * [[Qatar]] (opened in [[May 2007]] in Villagio Mall) * [[Oman]] (opened in [[October 2007]] in Muscat City Center) == Sephora inside JCPenney == Sephora has launched a store-with-in-a-store inside a growing number of JCPenney stores in the United States. These stores, which are one-third the size of a normal Sephora store (1,500 to 1,800 square feet as opposed to 4,000+ square feet), carry a more limited selection than full-size Sephora stores; however, many of Sephora's most popular cosmetics, skincare, and fragrance brands are represented. ==References== <references/> == External links == * [http://www.sephora.com Sephora.com] * [http://www.sephora.fr/ Sephora France] * [http://www.sephora.pl/ Sephora Poland] * [http://www.sephora.cn/ Sephora China] * [http://www.sephora.es/ Sephora Spain] * [http://www.sephora.it/ Sephora Italia] * [http://www.sephora.cz/ Sephora Czech Republic] * [http://www2.jcpenney.com/jcp/sephoralocator.aspx Sephora at JCPenney] * [http://www.lvmh.com/ LVMH US] * [http://www.lvmh.fr/ LVMH France] * ... {{LVMH}} {{cosmetics}} [[Category:Cosmetics companies]] [[Category:LVMH brands]] [[Category:French brands]] [[fr:Sephora]] [[pl:Sephora]]