EARLY ACCESS
Brand partnerships are a core pillar of Sephora's business model. These partnerships include a portfolio of exclusive, selective, and hype beauty brands launching into SEA and other markets. The business goal is to grow market share in some product categories and continue to dominate in other key categories through exclusivity, newness and selective pre launch strategies.
Disclaimer
The content on this page contains information that is subject to NDA with clients or stakeholders.
As a result, specific details and sensitive aspects of the project have been omitted or generalized.
Defining Early Access
Preview phase
A preview strategy involves directing shoppers to learn more about a new arrival by setting up a "Coming Soon" PDP. This helps capture shopper interest and encourages them to amplify the brand’s reach before the official launch.
Prelaunch phase
A prelaunch strategy provides exclusive purchase access to a limited group (e.g., Gold members) before the official release. Shoppers can buy the product early, allowing the business to gauge demand, generate early revenue, and build anticipation.
Goal
Position Sephora as the go-to destination for researching beauty launches, learning about upcoming products, waitlisting, and preordering new arrivals.
Success Metrics
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App Stickiness: Increase opt-in Add To Bag (ATB) on PDP with Early Access touchpoints.
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Signup & Sign-in Rate: Increase user engagement and retention.
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Incremental Revenue: Drive early sales through prelaunch participation.
Problem Space
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Members miss product launches and often find products out of stock (OOS) by the time they are aware.
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Members are unaware of exclusive items and seek deals on other platforms.
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Beauty enthusiasts want early access to new products to try them first and influence their network.
How might we provide beauty lovers with timely access to product information, ensure members never miss a launch, and highlight exclusivity to drive anticipation and engagement?
Research Methods
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Competitive Analysis: Analyzed brands, including Look Fantastic, Cult Beauty, Mecca from Australia among others to understand touchpoints and naming conventions.
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Usability Testing: 45 users (AU, SG, MY) tested navigation and copy clarity.
Key Insights
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Industry-standard naming conventions favor "Priority Access" over "Prelaunch."
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"Coming Soon" is a more common term than "Preview."
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Users expect clear "Notify Me" confirmation and reminders.
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Prelaunch clarity on exclusivity and duration is crucial.
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Wishlist function is widely used for OOS products.
Design Process
Early Access is an app-first initiative designed to drive Sephora app downloads, resulting in distinct user flows across platforms. Unlike the app, the web experience does not support adding prelaunch products to the Shopping Bag, requiring tailored design solutions to accommodate platform-specific behaviors.
Results
The success of Early Access is closely linked to product launch schedules. Despite delays, the Preview phase launched successfully during Black Friday sales and allowed users to engage with upcoming products through browsing and waitlisting, resulting in PDP views exceeding the target by six times.
The pilot for Prelaunch phase is planned for Q1 2025
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