Sephora is the world's leading chain of cosmetics stores and one of the most important divisions of the LVMH luxury conglomerates. The brand operates over 1,600 shops in 28 countries including more than 120 retail locations in China.

Despite the booming sales of cosmetics and beauty products, the product category of fine fragrances in Sephora mainland China faced challenges in catching up. In order to jumpstart sales of fine fragrances in the world' s largest Sephora flagship store in Shanghai, Sephora sought to create an original in-store digital involvement and commissioned MADJOR to create an innovative customer experience.

To enhance Sephora's fine fragrance sales, we provided support in discovering strategies to stimulate Chinese consumers' purchasing behavior for perfumes. Our efforts resulted in the creation of the "Fragrance Bar," consisting of 2 iPad applications that facilitated customers in rediscovering the practical and emotional advantages of fine fragrances. Our comprehensive services encompassed UX/UI design and interactive content development.

We conducted focus group discussions and a three-hour workshop at Sephora' s Shanghai headquarters and identified two major issues that hampered the development of the fragrance market in China. Firstly, Chinese consumers did not perceive scents as a potential source of emotions. Secondly, they struggled to associate fragrances with tangible benefits and occasions, often resulting in a reluctance to make a purchase.

To address these two issues, we leveraged our expertise in consumer insights to identify the most significant scents associated with past memories in Chinese people' s minds and understand how occasions and attitudes trigger consumers' decisions to buy perfume.

Based on the research findings, we found that childhood held a significant place in consumers' hearts as the happiest life stage. To tap into this emotional connection, we recommended integrating 10 evocative scents into Sephora's fragrance organ. These scents were carefully chosen to allow customers to engage with fragrances that trigger strong emotions. For instance, the scent of baby lotion would evoke feelings of youth and motherhood, while the clean laundry scent would transport them back to sunny summertime activities during childhood.

To further enhance the experience, we designed an iPad application as a game where customers could identify scents from their childhood. This interactive activity aimed to create a nostalgic and engaging experience for customers, reinforcing their emotional connection to the fragrances.

Meanwhile, we crafted another iPad application to help customers find their perfect match among the available perfumes, providing personalized recommendations based on their preferences and tastes. We developed 5 questions categorized under 4 different occasions: Work, Date, Going out, and Gift. By completing the quiz, customers could receive tailored recommendations for perfumes that matched their specific needs and preferences.

Partnered with Fimenich, a fragrance company, we recommended two fragrances based on the result at the end of the quiz, including Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle and Chloe Signature. Customers could then obtain product information directly through the application and share their result by email or through Weibo. These applications were linked to perfume diffusers that allowed customers to directly experience different scents and fragrances, thus increasing the chances of sales conversion.

The “Fragrance Bar” not only led to a rise in footfall to Sephora's "fragrances" section but also garnered significant attention from various publications, including CBN Weekly, which recognized it as the best practice in utilizing digital technology to improve the brand experience within the retail store environment.