Sephora Launches Global "Quiet Hours" Initiative
Beauty retailer Sephora is introducing "Quiet Hours" worldwide, lowering store music, adjusting screens, and minimizing scents to create a more accessible shopping experience for neurodivergent customers.
Sephora is rolling out "Quiet Hours" globally, a new initiative aimed at making its stores more accessible for neurodivergent customers. The beauty retailer will reduce sensory stimuli during these designated times to create a calmer shopping environment.
During "Quiet Hours," Sephora stores will dim store music, adjust screen brightness, and minimize strong scents. These adjustments are intended to reduce triggers for shoppers with conditions such as autism and ADHD. A specific schedule for these hours has not yet been announced.
The company pilot-tested the program in 32 stores across eight markets, receiving positive feedback from both customers and employees. A significant majority of neurodivergent customers reported that the initiative substantially improved their shopping experience.
"Quiet Hours at Sephora is one meaningful step in our ongoing commitment to building more welcoming environments," said Deborah Yeh, Sephora's global chief marketing officer. The company stated that 90% of clients felt the hours made stores more inclusive.
Sephora joins a growing number of retailers adopting similar practices. Walmart introduced sensory-friendly hours in 2023, and other companies like Target and AMC Theatres have also implemented adjusted shopping or screening times to accommodate diverse customer needs.