Sephora targets Gen X with latest beauty launch

The news: Sephora’s newest product launch targets a slightly older demographic than the one currently taking over its stores: Gen X.

• Beginning in September, the retailer will stock the eponymous line from veteran beauty product developer Sarah Creal, formerly the CEO and co-founder of Victoria Beckham Beauty, per The Business of Fashion.
• The brand is aimed at consumers over the age of 40, and is the first Gen X-specific line to be found at Sephora.

A forgotten opportunity no longer: While younger consumers tend to suck up most of the attention of beauty brands and retailers, Gen X is a demographic they shouldn’t lose sight of.

• Gen Xers account for 20% of both mass and prestige beauty spending annually—roughly $23 billion in total—and their spending on the latter category is growing faster than any other age group, per Circana data cited by Women’s Wear Daily.
• That’s because those shoppers have more disposable income than younger consumers, and are willing to spend on quality products that meet their skincare needs.
• Unlike millennial, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha consumers, whose beauty consumption is highly influenced by social media, Gen Xers are more likely to be swayed by free samples, recommendations from friends or family members—including their children—or in-store displays.

Our take: By sharpening its focus on a demographic often overlooked by the beauty industry, Sephora has an opportunity to turn itself into the go-to beauty destination for Gen X shoppers.