Xin Ou
Research expert covering Greater China
Sephora.com - statistics & facts
Sephora, the leading global beauty retailer known for its luxurious and trendy products, originated in France in 1969 and is part of the Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (LVMH) group. While its roots are European, Sephora's largest market is the United States, where sephora.com is forecast to generate approximately 3.6 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in 2025. In contrast, its French counterpart, sephora.fr, is estimated to bring in about 309 million U.S. dollars.
A significant trend in the online beauty industry is the rise of social media platforms as shopping channels. Consumers are increasingly discovering and purchasing beauty products directly through social apps. This shift could pose a challenge to traditional online retailers. In North America, TikTok leads the pack, capturing the largest share of the beauty e-commerce market among social media platforms. It is also the preferred social media app for Sephora consumers seeking beauty information. Globally, beauty and personal care items top the sales on TikTok Shops, reaching a Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of 2.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. Despite its success, TikTok faces legal challenges in the United States, which could impact its ability to compete with established players like Sephora in the region.
Sephora's future looks promising, with the global growth of the beauty and personal care e-commerce sector on the rise. With a strong presence both on the high-street and online, Sephora has positioned itself as a key multichannel retailer, effectively reaching a highly consumer-driven demographic of young women.
Heavy competition and new players
The online beauty and personal care industry is highly competitive. Sephora has achieved significant success as the leading online beauty store globally in terms of revenue. However, in January 2025, sephora.com ranked as the second-most visited beauty and cosmetics website, with over 35 million visitors. It was surpassed by fragnatica.com, a site popular among perfume enthusiasts, which garnered 52 million visitors. Other competitors in the market include boots.com from the United Kingdom (UK), and U.S.-based sites ulta.com and qvc.com, each attracting around 19 million visitors.A significant trend in the online beauty industry is the rise of social media platforms as shopping channels. Consumers are increasingly discovering and purchasing beauty products directly through social apps. This shift could pose a challenge to traditional online retailers. In North America, TikTok leads the pack, capturing the largest share of the beauty e-commerce market among social media platforms. It is also the preferred social media app for Sephora consumers seeking beauty information. Globally, beauty and personal care items top the sales on TikTok Shops, reaching a Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of 2.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. Despite its success, TikTok faces legal challenges in the United States, which could impact its ability to compete with established players like Sephora in the region.
Sephora.com shoppers
Sephora has thrived online thanks to its early embrace of e-commerce, effective community engagement, and strong social media presence. Consequently, it is unsurprising that younger generations make up a significant portion of its customer base. Specifically, over 36 percent of visitors are aged 25 to 34, about 16 percent are between 18 and 24 years old, and nearly 20 percent fall within the 35 to 44 age bracket. Additionally, the site predominantly attracts female customers, with four-fifths of sephora.com users being women.Sephora's future looks promising, with the global growth of the beauty and personal care e-commerce sector on the rise. With a strong presence both on the high-street and online, Sephora has positioned itself as a key multichannel retailer, effectively reaching a highly consumer-driven demographic of young women.
