Sephora has launched an app in ChatGPT as part of a new US pilot designed to bring personalised beauty advice, product discovery and, eventually, direct purchasing into the AI platform.
The prestige beauty retailer said the new experience will allow shoppers to ask beauty-related questions in natural language and receive curated recommendations based on their needs and preferences. Users who choose to link their Sephora Beauty Insider account will also be able to access more tailored answers informed by their profile.
The move marks Sephora’s latest push into AI-enabled retail, as the business looks to meet customers in the digital spaces where they are increasingly beginning their shopping journeys.
Speaking at Shoptalk Spring, Sephora global chief digital officer Anca Marola said the retailer’s priority was to ensure it remained a trusted adviser regardless of channel.
“The customer has never had this much opportunity and this much choice at his disposal,” she said. “So the stake for brands and retailers is, how do you remain that trusted beauty adviser for them, no matter the channel?”
Initially rolling out in the US, the Sephora app in ChatGPT will let shoppers seek advice on products and routines through conversational prompts such as requests for help finding foundation for dry skin or recommendations tailored to individual beauty concerns.
The retailer said customers will soon also be able to use Sephora loyalty rewards and member benefits, including free shipping promotions and samples, through the experience. Future updates are set to add payments and checkout directly within the app.
Sephora said the launch reflects its longer-term digital strategy and its belief that AI will play a growing role in how consumers discover and shop for products.
Marola said the business intended to expand the app globally over time, adding that beauty customers would continue to seek expert advice even as the channels they use evolve.
“You cannot stop progress. That’s the baseline,” she said. “So you either embrace progress or you don’t. The risk is in not embracing progress.”
Sephora North America general manager of e-commerce Nadine Graham said the partnership was designed to create a more seamless and useful experience for shoppers.
“Beauty clients around the world are increasingly open to AI-powered guidance, as many use technology to discover brands, trends, and routines,” she said. “By blending our digital retailer expertise with new AI tools, we are creating new seamless and conversational experiences that are not only efficient but helpful for beauty consumers.”
OpenAI head of ChatGPT Nick Turley said the collaboration reflected the platform’s growing role in product discovery and purchase decisions.
“ChatGPT is increasingly becoming a starting point for how people discover products and make decisions,” he said. “This new experience with Sephora explores how beauty discovery and shopping can be more helpful and personalised inside ChatGPT.”
Sephora said it is well placed to trial new AI-powered retail experiences thanks to the scale of its customer base, which includes more than 80 million active members worldwide.
Alongside the consumer-facing app, Sephora and OpenAI said they are also exploring broader collaboration opportunities across the retailer’s global operations.
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