As a beauty enthusiast and savvy shopper, you know the thrill of finding a great deal on your favorite prestige products. And when you‘re shopping at a retailer as popular as Sephora, it‘s only natural to wonder – will they match a lower price I find elsewhere? In a world where consumers have endless options both in-store and online, price matching has become an increasingly common practice for retailers looking to remain competitive and build customer loyalty.
But as a specialty beauty retailer, Sephora‘s price matching policy is a bit more nuanced than your average big box store. While they do offer price matching in certain circumstances, it comes with a lot of caveats and restrictions that may leave some shoppers frustrated. To help you navigate if and when you can successfully score a price adjustment at Sephora, we‘ve done a deep dive into the details of their policy. Consider this your comprehensive guide to maximizing your savings at Sephora, from price matching to insider tips and tricks.
When Sephora Will (and Won‘t) Price Match
Let‘s start with the good news: Sephora does offer price matching…sometimes. Currently, Sephora will only price match beauty products sold at four other retailers:
- Nordstrom
- Neiman Marcus
- Bloomingdale‘s
- Barney‘s
If you find an identical item currently in stock at one of these department stores for a lower price, Sephora will match it. However, the item must be an exact match – same brand, product name, size, and shade. The price match is also only valid on the everyday retail price, not sale or promotional pricing.
Here‘s a hypothetical scenario to illustrate:
Hailey has been eyeing the La Mer Crème de la Mer Moisturizing Cream 2 oz., which retails for $380 at Sephora. While browsing the Nordstrom website, she notices they have the same size jar listed for $350. Since the item is identical and not marked as a special sale price, Hailey could take a screenshot of the Nordstrom listing and contact Sephora customer service or visit her local store to request a price match to $350.
On the flip side, let‘s say Hailey notices Neiman Marcus is running a gift card promotion where you receive a $75 gift card for every $500 spent on La Mer. Even though this essentially makes the moisturizer "cheaper" at Neiman Marcus after factoring in the value of the gift card, Sephora would not match this offer since it‘s a special promotional deal.
It‘s important to note that you have a limited window to request a price match after making a purchase. Sephora will only honor a price match within 7 days of the date on your receipt, so if you notice a lower price a few weeks later, you‘re unfortunately out of luck.
Sephora‘s Price Matching Compared to Competitors
Now for the not-so-good news. When it comes to price matching, Sephora‘s policy is quite limited compared to many of its main competitors in the beauty retail space. Major beauty retailers that offer more extensive price matching include:
- Ulta Beauty: Ulta offers price matching both in-store and online. If you find a lower price on an identical item at a competitor (including Amazon), Ulta will match it. They also offer price adjustments within 30 days if an item you bought goes on sale.
- Nordstrom: Nordstrom will price match any identical, in-stock item from a national retailer, including their own Nordstrom.com website. They offer price adjustments within 14 days.
- Macy‘s: Macy‘s price matches direct competitors (both in-store and online), as well as Macys.com. Price adjustments are available within 10 days.
Meanwhile, Sephora will not price match any of the above retailers, nor will they match prices from:
- Department stores like Macy‘s, Kohl‘s, JCPenney, etc.
- Mass retailers like Target, Walmart, or Amazon
- Specialty beauty retailers like Blue Mercury, Space NK, or Dermstore
- Sephora.com (their own website!)
This means that even if you find the exact same Dior lipstick on sale for 15% off at Macy‘s, Sephora will not budge on their full retail price. As a picky shopper, this can understandably be very frustrating. It requires you to do a lot of research and price comparisons before making a purchase, rather than assuming Sephora will always have the best price or match a better deal you find later.
So why is Sephora so restrictive with their price matching compared to other retailers? It likely comes down to a combination of protecting their margins and maintaining a certain brand image. Sephora positions itself as a prestige beauty destination and prides itself on offering a luxury, high-touch experience. By limiting price matching to only a handful of other high-end department stores, Sephora aims to avoid cheapening its brand perception in consumers‘ minds.
What the Data Says About Price Matching
While Sephora may view price matching as a threat to its bottom line, research shows it can be a highly effective strategy for driving sales and customer loyalty. A recent study by Retail Dive found that 68% of shoppers have made a purchase from a retailer specifically because they offered to match a competitor‘s price.
Furthermore, 43% of consumers say they always or often research prices at multiple retailers before making a purchase, according to a survey by RetailMeNot. This suggests that price matching isn‘t just a nice-to-have perk – it‘s becoming an expectation among today‘s savvy shoppers.
Interestingly, the beauty industry in particular tends to have much lower rates of price matching compared to other retail categories. A study by Profitero found that only 11% of beauty brands on Amazon had prices that were closely matched by competing retailers, compared to over 50% in categories like electronics and home goods. This may be because luxury beauty brands are often hesitant to participate in price matching for fear of eroding their premium positioning.
However, this decision comes with a risk of alienating price-conscious consumers. While Sephora‘s target demographic may skew towards higher-income shoppers less fazed by paying full price, a significant portion of its customer base still wants to feel like they‘re getting a good deal. By refusing to price match more broadly, Sephora could be missing out on sales from shoppers who will ultimately take their business to Ulta or department stores offering more competitive prices.
How to Save at Sephora Without Price Matching
Just because Sephora‘s price matching policy is limited doesn‘t mean you can‘t find other ways to save on your beauty buys. Here are some of our favorite tips and tricks for scoring deals at Sephora:
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Join the Beauty Insider program. Sephora‘s loyalty program is free to join and lets you earn points on every purchase, which you can redeem for deluxe samples or full-size products. The more you spend in a calendar year, the higher tier you unlock (VIB at $350 and Rouge at $1000) with increased earning potential and additional perks like free shipping and exclusive sales.
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Shop Sephora‘s semi-annual sales. Sephora runs several major sales throughout the year, during which Beauty Insiders can save 10-20% on their total purchase depending on their membership tier. The Spring Savings Event usually occurs in April, while the Holiday Savings Event takes place in early November. Insiders also often get first access to shop the sale before the general public.
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Download the Sephora app. In addition to making it easier to track your Beauty Insider points and Rewards Bazaar offers, the Sephora app frequently features exclusive discounts and promotions. You can also use it to scan item barcodes in-store and read reviews on the spot, or easily reorder past purchases.
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Buy discounted Sephora gift cards. Websites like Raise and CardCash sell Sephora gift cards for 5-10% off their face value, which essentially gives you a built-in discount on your purchase. You can stack these with sale prices, promo codes, and rewards points to maximize your savings.
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Take advantage of Sephora‘s free samples. Every Sephora purchase, no matter how small, comes with your choice of two free samples at checkout (three if you‘re VIB or Rouge). You can strategically test out pricier products before committing to a full size or stock up on travel-friendly sizes of your go-to‘s. Sephora also offers free custom "makeovers" using 10+ products, which is a great way to try before you buy.
While these strategies may require a bit more effort than simply having Sephora match a competitor‘s price, they can still add up to significant savings over time. It‘s all about being a savvy shopper and doing your research to get the best bang for your beauty buck.
Key Takeaways
Sephora‘s price matching policy is not as straightforward or broad as many other retailers. Here are the key things to keep in mind:
- Sephora will only price match identical, in-stock items sold at the regular retail price by four competitors: Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale‘s, and Barney‘s.
- Sale prices, promotional offers, and items that require a discount code are not eligible for price matching.
- Price matches must be requested within 7 days of purchase.
- Sephora does not match prices from Ulta, department stores, mass retailers, or its own website.
- Sephora will honor a one-time price adjustment on an item that gets marked down within 7 days of purchase (14 for Rouge members), as long as it wasn‘t originally purchased with a promo code or discount.
- There are several other ways to save at Sephora, including joining the Beauty Insider program, shopping semi-annual sales, using the Sephora app, buying discounted gift cards, and taking advantage of free samples.
Ultimately, Sephora‘s restrictive price matching policy reflects its positioning as a prestige beauty retailer. By not chasing down every competitor‘s price, Sephora aims to maintain its premium image and protect its profit margins. However, this approach also relies on having a customer base that values factors like product curation, in-store experience, and brand image as much as, if not more than, always getting the lowest price.
As a savvy shopper, it‘s up to you to evaluate your priorities when buying beauty products. If getting the absolute best deal is your main concern, you may need to look beyond Sephora and be willing to shop around. But if you appreciate Sephora‘s rewards program, exclusive product offerings, and high-touch service, then you can still find plenty of ways to save without relying on price matching.
