Sephora Flash Boutique Employs RFID To Help Sell Perfumes

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

Shoppers use the RFID to get more info and to fill digital shopping carts

Shoppers at Sephora’s Flash Boutique in Paris are using an NFC RFID system to obtain more details about their favorite perfume samples and to fill their digital shopping carts with their chosen products. The technology is bringing a more interactive experience to shoppers by attaching NFC passive RFID tags to the bottoms of perfume testers with readers installed behind touchscreen displays that provide content. The new technology also allows shoppers to use a card with an embedded NFC RFID tag to create and fill a shopping cart, choosing from items both in-store and click-and-collect service,  to complete their desired transactions in one easy trip.

The Sephora Flash Boutique is a 1,076-square-foot store that opened at 66 Rue de Rivoli in Paris in October 2015, and provides access not only to the products and brands on site, but also to some 14,000 products from 150 brands via a digital catalog.

Sephora is no stranger to innovation in digital technology.  As Brand Channel reported, Sephora is a pioneer in digital-first beauty retailing, and the chain continues to “prioritize and improve on the customer experience through technology,” as the new Flash Boutique demonstrates.

The Flash Boutique also boasts Nao, the programmable humanoid robot, who greets shoppers as they enter the store. As InStyle noted, Nao “dispenses a card that serves as your ‘virtual shopping basket’ so you can combine your online purchases with anything you find in the physical store, and pay for everything at the cash register.” Nao has three different programmed speeches, all in French, addressed to customers.

The Sephora Flash Boutique also has a “Flash Bar,” featuring a large selfie mirror and mobile phone chargers to help maximize the beauty shopping experience.

Sephora plans to roll out other Flash Boutiques across France in the near future.