Sephora to pilot TikTok Shop experience - Retail Dive

Listen to the article 2 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback . Sephora will debut on TikTok Shop in the U.S. through a pilot starting on Sept. 19. The launch will feature exclusive monthly product drops in an experience dubbed the Sephora Drop Shop. Featured brands in the Drop Shop will include teasers and creator-based content, culminating in a TikTok Live to unveil the products available for purchase, per a Wednesday press release. Those featured product drops will launch exclusively through Sephora's TikTok Shop, with select items later rolling out to the retailer’s other shopping channels or other retail partners. Shoppers will also be able to preview the featured products on Sephora’s site during the exclusive launch window ahead of their broader availability. “TikTok Shop is a powerful extension of our global digital strategy and our commitment to meeting clients wherever they discover beauty,” Sephora Global Chief Digital Officer Anca Marola said in a statement. “By approaching this launch with a test-and-learn mindset, we are not only scaling our retailtainment model in the US, but also gathering critical insights to inform our digital innovation and future rollout across our global network.” The social media app has become an integral part of the discovery portion of shopping for some consumers. TikTok’s U.S. shopping feature — which debuted about three years ago — and the virality some products get from it has helped brands improve their product mix, demand forecasting and content strategy. “It’s a place for us to learn what’s working versus not,” Pacsun’s Chief Merchandising Officer Richard Cox said during the National Retail Federation’s Big Show conference in January.