Open to All® Corporate Leader Sephora Releases Groundbreaking Racial Bias in Retail Study

Did you know?

Two in five U.S. retail shoppers have personally experienced unfair treatment on the basis of their race or skin tone. And Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) shoppers are three times more likely than white shoppers to feel most often judged by their skin color and ethnicity.

These findings were revealed as part of a first-ever large-scale study on Racial Bias in Retail, commissioned by beauty retail giant and Open to All® member Sephora. The study found that racial bias in retail is pervasive for both shoppers and employees. The study also included actionable solutions for retailers to mitigate racially biased experiences. Read more here: www.sephora.com/diversity-and-inclusion.

Sephora is a member of Open to All’s Leadership Circle, a select group of corporate partners who are leading diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in innovative and meaningful ways. This groundbreaking study is certain to have impact across the entire retail sector. Open to All is investing in our ongoing work with Sephora and sharing these findings and actionable solutions with Open to All’s 500,000 business members. From fellow retail giants to small business owners, collectively, we can work together to address racial bias and discrimination in retail.

As part of their announcement, Sephora unveiled a detailed action plan to tackle bias across all aspects of the organization, including doubling its assortment of Black-owned brands by the end of 2021, implementing new training modules for employees, creating a system for client service and feedback, and building new programs to support sourcing, hiring, and advancement of employees of color. They are calling on their fellow retailers to take action to be more inclusive, and we’re urging Open to All retailers to answer the call.

Open to All businesses are committed to creating welcoming and inclusive environments for customers and employees, and Sephora is a leader in the rapidly growing movement to change the way we do business. Open to All commends Sephora for investing in this vital and ongoing work, and we look forward to being their ongoing partner in creating change.

For more information, visit www.sephora.com/diversity-and-inclusion.