There are days when you could not pay me to walk into a Sephora.
When I go there with my wife I find myself dodging hoards of teenage girls giggling over eyeshadow, easing past older woman asking staff about makeovers and standing in long lineups at the cash.
I don’t really think about the music or lights, but maybe that’s because I’ve gotten used to most retail stores trying to replicate the atmosphere of a nightclub during the day.
All this makes Sephora’s decision to roll out “quiet shopping” hours across locations globally a moment to celebrate.
It’s now ‘shhhhhopping’
Following a pilot across 32 stores in eight markets, the retailer said dimming the lights, turning down the music and avoiding overpowering scents has proven to make good business sense.
In fact, Sephora’ research shows most neurodivergent shoppers say quiet hours significantly improves their experience and 90% of clients think they make Sephora stores more inclusive and welcoming for all.
Quiet shopping experiences have also been showing up at Walmart and Target. At first glance, it flies in the face of conventional wisdom that shopping should be exciting and fun.
Perhaps retailers are realizing that, with many online rivals to choose from, consumers don’t want visiting a store to feel like a barrage of imagery, sound and scent.
CX considerations for quiet shopping
From a customer experience (CX) perspective, quiet shopping hours also allow retailers to demonstrate they recognize the needs of particular segments. There are just a few questions worth pondering as this trend goes mainstream:
- If they’re not bombarding shoppers with digital displays, how will retailers make sure they keep consumers informed about special promotions and discounts? Text alerts or perhaps even analog signage may play a critical role here.
- Without the constant din of overhead speakers calling employees from one urgent issue to another, how will retailers make creative use of mobile devices to keep communication lines open and service levels high?
- Is there a way to balance quiet shopping with engagement? This may be where an AI-enabled speaker with an AMSR-style voice could soothingly but helpfully respond to customer questions from anywhere in the store.
- How will quiet hours evolve so as not to compromise peak shopping periods, or be incorporated into the holiday shopping season where buying is often an even more frenzied affair?
You also have to wonder if, instead of quiet shopping hours, some retail brands would do better to design their environments to be a bit quieter by default.
Many stores have been built according to the same age-old playbook, where vibrant colors, noise and in-your-face visuals are the standard. Maybe it’s time for a new, quieter standard.
If nothing else, this is an area that’s ripe for greater CX experimentation. Leave it to a brand associated with promoting superficial beauty to recognize the optimal shopping experience requires taking a deeper look at what’s happening under the surface.