Racial prejudice costs retailers customers even before they enter the store, according to a study commissioned by cosmetics chain Sephora. Published last month, the Racial Bias in Retail Study surveyed 3,034 U.S. shoppers and 1,703 retail employees from multiple sectors. It found problems ranging from differences in treatment of racialized customers in stores to a lack of reflection of diversity in marketing—which sometimes turns consumers off even before they get in the door. Sephora Canada will be using the data to improve its own customer experience.
“It was the first of its kind study to really glean insights into the disparate experiences” that workers and employees of colour encounter in the U.S., said Debbie McDowell, Sephora Canada’s director of social impact.
