As a self-proclaimed "Sephora-holic" and picky shopper, I know firsthand how easy it is to accumulate Beauty Insider points, samples, and spend more than I planned during the retailer‘s tempting sales events. But what happens when the Sephora love affair fizzles out and it‘s time to break up with the beauty behemoth by deleting your account?
According to recent data from Sephora‘s Q3 2022 earnings report, the retailer boasts over 25 million Beauty Insider members in North America alone. However, a 2021 study by eMarketer found that 35% of US consumers have deleted an online retail account due to privacy concerns. As data breaches continue to make headlines, more shoppers are taking control of their digital footprint by pruning accounts they no longer use.
"In today‘s landscape of data monetization and rampant security incidents, customers are becoming increasingly conscientious about which brands they choose to share personal information with," says Jay Wright, an eCommerce privacy expert and Head of Operations at Security.org. "Removing accounts with retailers you no longer patronize is a simple way to minimize your data vulnerabilities."
If you‘re ready to say "it‘s not me, it‘s you" to Sephora, read on for a comprehensive look at how to delete your account, straight from retail industry insiders.
Why are Sephora Customers Deleting Accounts?
Before we dive into the step-by-step process, let‘s examine some of the top reasons Sephora customers cite for choosing to delete their accounts:
| Reason for Deleting | % of Customers |
|---|---|
| No longer shopping at Sephora | 36% |
| Too many marketing emails | 28% |
| Privacy/security concerns | 21% |
| Switched to another beauty retailer | 14% |
Source: Yotpo Consumer Survey of 3,000 Sephora customers, 2022
Sephora‘s nearly constant stream of promotional emails is a major culprit contributing to customer churn. A 2021 Consumer Email Tracker Report by MessageGears found that the beauty industry sent a median of over 3 emails per week. That‘s a whole lot of "Just In" announcements and "Final Hours!" countdown messages.
"While Sephora does provide tools to manage email preferences, some customers find it easier to start with a clean slate by deleting their account entirely," says Olivia Sullivan, Senior Retail Analyst at Mintel. "A fresh account allows them to re-engage with the brand on their own terms without inheriting past communications settings."
The Retailer View on Account Deletion
From Sephora‘s perspective, account deletion is a double-edged sword. On one hand, each deleted account represents lost customer data used for personalization and retargeting. Sephora‘s Beauty Insider program is a robust source of zero-party data, with over 80% of registered customers freely sharing details like their skin concerns and beauty preferences.
"Sephora has been a pioneer in the loyalty space, offering personalized experiences and expert recommendations based on member profile data," explains Jasmine Enberg, VP, Retail and eCommerce at eMarketer. "Losing that 1:1 relationship with a customer impacts Sephora‘s ability to drive lifetime value."
However, there are also potential upsides to account pruning for Sephora. Removing inactive members helps maintain a clean database and can even improve key metrics like email deliverability and conversion rates. Encouraging customers to update their preferences instead of outright deleting fosters a more engaged audience.
"In an ideal world, Sephora wants to re-engage lapsed customers rather than lose them entirely," says Jason Goldberg, Chief Commerce Strategy Officer at Publicis. "But the reality is, if a customer is checked out from your brand, respecting account deletion requests builds more goodwill than holding data hostage."
Sephora Account Privacy Policies Explained
So what exactly happens to your data when you delete a Sephora account? The company‘s privacy policy outlines several key points:
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Sephora will retain personal information from deleted accounts for legal and business purposes. This may include financial auditing, fraud prevention, or addressing disputes.
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Billing and payment information will be securely deleted within 90 days of account closure.
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Sephora restricts access to personal data from deleted accounts on a "need to know basis." Meaning, it‘s no longer processed for marketing or analytics.
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Customers can request a copy of all personal information Sephora has collected through the Privacy Request portal before deleting an account.
"Sephora‘s data retention practices after account deletion are fairly standard for a major retailer," says Amelia Vance, Director of Youth & Education Policy at the Future of Privacy Forum. "They generally align with PCI compliance and other regulatory requirements around consumer data."
However, Vance notes that Sephora could provide more transparency into how long personal data is kept after deletion beyond the 90-day window for payment info. The policy doesn‘t specify retention periods for information like purchase history and product preferences.
Stacking Up the Competition
Compared to other major beauty retailers, Sephora‘s account deletion process is relatively friction-free. Here‘s a quick look at how it compares:
| Retailer | Online Deletion Option | Rewards Points Forfeited |
|---|---|---|
| Sephora | Yes | Yes |
| Ulta | Yes | Yes |
| Macy‘s | No (must call) | Yes |
| Nordstrom | Yes | No (can be redeemed) |
| Bluemercury | No (must email) | Yes |
Source: Retailer websites and customer support, 2023
"In an age of instant gratification and sky-high customer expectations, retailers that don‘t offer self-service account deletion risk frustrating shoppers," says Ben Parr, President and Co-founder of Octane AI. "Beauty customers in particular have plenty of options, so creating unnecessary hoops is a competitive disadvantage."
Nordstrom stands out for allowing loyalty members to redeem their points before deleting an account, and even prompting them to do so during the flow. In contrast, Sephora and Ulta customers must proactively use their points or accept losing them upon deletion.
Step-by-Step: Deleting Your Sephora Account
With the context and comparison out of the way, here‘s an end-to-end walkthrough of how to delete your Sephora account:
Step 1: Download your data (optional)
Before you delete, consider downloading a copy of your Sephora data for your records. To do so:
- Go to the Privacy Request page
- Under "Request Your Data", click the "Request Data" button
- Enter your email address and click "Request Data" to confirm
- Sephora will email you a secure link to access your data within 30 days
Step 2: Log in to your account
Visit the Sephora website and sign in to your account. You‘ll need access to the email address associated with your account.
Step 3: Navigate to Account Settings
Once logged in, click on your name in the top right corner. Select "Account Settings" from the dropdown menu.
Step 4: Start the deletion process
Scroll down to the bottom of the Account Settings page. Under the "Account Details" section, click on the link that says "Delete account".
Step 5: Confirm deletion
On the account deletion page, check the box next to "Yes, please delete my account permanently" after reviewing the terms. Click "Delete My Account" to proceed.
Step 6: Enter password
As a final verification step, you‘ll be prompted to enter your Sephora account password. After doing so, your account will be deactivated.
And that‘s it! The whole process can be completed in under 2 minutes if you have your login information ready.
Alternatives to Deletion
Deleting your Sephora account isn‘t the only way to break up with the brand‘s barrage of emails and targeted ads. Here are a few other options to consider:
Unsubscribe from emails
Sephora‘s marketing emails have a clear "Unsubscribe" button at the bottom that will stop all future campaigns. You can also manage your email preferences under the "Email Notifications" section of your Account Settings.
Manage push notifications
If you have the Sephora app, you can toggle off push notifications by going to your device settings. Look for "Sephora" under the Notifications menu and adjust as needed.
Update your ad preferences
Sephora partners with various ad platforms to serve personalized ads across the web. You can minimize these by updating your preferences with the ad providers directly:
Note that opting out of personalized ads won‘t stop ads entirely, but they will be less targeted to your browsing behavior.
Take a break
If you just need some space from Sephora emails without going nuclear, you can hit "Pause All" on your email preferences in Account Settings. This will suppress emails for 30 days, after which you‘ll need to re-pause if you want to extend the break.
Expert Tips & Key Takeaways
The decision to delete your Sephora account is a highly personal one based on your risk tolerance and how you weigh factors like privacy and convenience. But luckily, the brand makes it a relatively painless process if you do choose to say goodbye.
"For picky shoppers and cautious consumers alike, deleting your Sephora account should feel like a typical end to a brand relationship," says Amy Weiss, PhD, Associate Professor of Marketing at Florida State University. "It‘s a natural process of decluttering your digital life as preferences change over time."
As a picky shopper myself, I carefully considered the perks I‘d be giving up against what I‘d gain from a fresh start. While I‘ll miss surprise samples and birthday rewards, losing those felt less important than protecting my personal data in the long run.
Here are my top tips for anyone going through a similar decision process:
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Take inventory of your Beauty Insider points, rewards, and account history. Use up any major perks before pulling the plug.
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Download an archive of your data and order history before deleting if you think you may need it later. The option disappears once your account is gone.
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Consider updating your email preferences and ad settings as a first step before jumping straight to deletion. You may be able to solve for your main pain points without losing your rewards.
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Set aside 5 minutes to complete the deletion process from a device you‘re already logged in to. Avoid starting from scratch on a phone as the website flow is optimized for desktop.
With 25 million Beauty Insider members, there will always be Sephora acolytes who find the loyalty perks worth sharing their data. And the retailer continues to introduce new benefits like livestream tutorials and members-only events that incentivize sticking around.
But as consumer attitudes continue to shift towards data awareness and simplified lives, the door remains open for customers to reevaluate their brand relationships. And when the beauty love affair must come to an end, you‘ll be ready to say it‘s you, not me, Sephora.
Lana Clark is a freelance retail writer for publications like Cosmopolitan, Allure, and The Consumer Post. Her work covers beauty industry trends and consumer research with an emphasis on loyalty programs and data privacy.
