Key Takeaways:

• Sephora launches integrated storefronts, turning creators into curators.
• Unlike affiliates, storefronts live seamlessly inside Sephora’s digital ecosystem.
• This move strengthens Sephora’s edge in social commerce and the creator economy.

At the Fast Company Innovation Festival this week, Sephora President and CEO Artemis Patrick announced the retailer is preparing to launch a new creator storefront platform, My Sephora Storefront. The program, slated to launch next month, is designed to offer content creators and influencers a seamless way to build shoppable beauty destinations directly within Sephora’s ecosystem.

Patrick confirmed that the platform is already in its alpha testing phase, with Sephora Squad members serving as the first group of testers.

The President and CEO explained that, unlike traditional affiliate programs that sit on third-party platforms, My Sephora Storefront will be fully integrated into Sephora.com and the Sephora app, giving creators the ability to curate products and share them with their audiences in a new format.

Whether it’s the app, desktop, or mobile, creators can create their own storefront, and it will be shoppable, according to Patrick. “It’s a very seamless experience, and it’s authentic for both the creator and the consumer,” Patrick said.

This move builds on Sephora’s long-standing investment in community and influencer partnerships, including the Sephora Squad, launched in 2019, which has become a cornerstone of the retailer's creator strategy. By enabling creators to design their own storefronts, Sephora aims to deepen its connection with beauty influencers while also offering consumers a more personalized shopping journey. 

Patrick emphasized that the program has already shown strong early engagement in testing and is expected to scale quickly following its full launch.

Sephora isn’t the first retailer to experiment with creator storefronts, but its integrated approach sets it apart.

• Amazon: The e-commerce giant’s Amazon Influencer Program allows creators to build storefronts featuring recommended products. However, the experience lives on Amazon’s domain, with less of a brand community focus.
• Walmart: The retailer launched its Creator platform in 2022, giving influencers access to shoppable links and performance-based commissions. While it emphasizes scale, it lacks the deep cultural resonance Sephora has cultivated in beauty.
• Ulta Beauty: Ulta has leaned heavily into affiliate partnerships and TikTok integrations, but its creator strategy has been more distributed, without a central branded storefront hub for influencers.
• Target: Target works with creators primarily through affiliate networks and brand collaborations, but it has not yet introduced an owned storefront model.

The launch of My Sephora Storefront positions Sephora at the forefront of a growing retail trend: integrating creator commerce directly into the shopping experience, rather than relying on external affiliate links or third-party platforms. For beauty, a category where recommendations, tutorials, and community play an outsized role, this kind of native creator integration could set a new standard for how retailers and influencers collaborate.