Sephora Introduces ‘Quiet Hours’ At Stores Worldwide

One of the biggest names in the beauty business is taking steps to better accommodate people who are neurodivergent.

Sephora said that it will offer “quiet hours” at its stores globally, turning down the music and adjusting screens to offer a calmer shopping experience during specified times.

The move follows a pilot program at 32 stores in eight markets, the company said.

“With quiet hours at Sephora, we provide a beautifully calm atmosphere where clients feel welcome, allowing them to shop at their own pace, find and purchase the products they love,” said Deborah Yeh, global chief marketing officer at Sephora. “Quiet hours at Sephora is one meaningful step in our ongoing commitment to building more welcoming environments for our employees, consumers and communities.”

The effort is based on feedback from the neurodiversity community and internal employee resource groups, Sephora indicated. In addition, the company worked with Open Inclusion, an agency that helps brands with disability inclusion, and Purposeful Futures, a business consulting firm.

Sephora said it is the first beauty retailer to introduce quiet hours at locations worldwide. The company currently operates more than 2,700 stores in 35 countries.

“By listening directly to neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive beauty customers across five countries, we uncovered clear opportunities to rethink what more inclusive beauty retail spaces look, sound and feel like,” said Christine Hemphill from Open Inclusion. “This is the future of retail.”

Sensory-friendly hours have become increasingly common in recent years. Walmart offers two hours each day at all of its stores while entertainment venues ranging from Chuck E. Cheese to Sesame Place provide calmer experiences on select days.