The Sephora Company: Unique Market Positioning - Research Paper Example

Sephora: Internet and interactive media-consumer website analysis Table of Contents Table of Contents 1.Introduction 2 2.Unique market positioning 3 2.1 Products 4 2.2Communication and differentiation 4 3.Use of digital marketing 5 3.1 Mobile applications 5 3.2 Social media platforms 7 4.Website analysis 10 4.1 Targeting market 11 4.2 Branding image 11 4.3 Competitors 12 4.4 Promotional Activities 12 4.4.1 Beauty talk 12 4.4.2 TV 13 4.4.3 Pinterest Beauty Boards 13 4.4.4 Emails 13 4.5 SWOT analysis 14 4.5.1 Strengths 14 4.5.2 Weakness 14 4.5.3 Opportunities 15 4.5.3 Threats 16 4.6 Creativity and design 16 4.6.1 Fly-out menu 16 4.6.2 Content 17 4.6.3 The shopping experience 18 5. Sephora to Go 19 6.Conclusion 19 1. Introduction The Sephora Company is regarded as one of the major competitors in the beauty industry and is trendy, modern, professional and innovative. In order to provide quality products and services, the company prides itself in its knowledgeable workforce who undergo the proprietary training program. Sales associates and make-up artists undergo intensive training so that they can be well prepared to answer customers’ questions and give them advice ranging from skin types, and application techniques. The company not only serves women who are frequent users of the beauty products, but also men. This paper examines the Sephora’s digital marketing strategy and its website which is located at http://www.sephora.com/. 2. Unique market positioning The company was launched in the 1960s and unlike other business entities which use the commission-based model, Sephora relies on the self-service model. Under this model, customers go around the store, and are able to feel, touch and try the available offerings. Its founder, Dominique Mondonnaud transformed the existing model by grouping products by qualities such as perfume notes and scents rather than by brand. By 1984, Dominique had opened more than 8 perfume shops, but in 1993 he sold all the stores to Louis Vuitton. Following the acquisition of Sephora, LVMH expanded its operations in many European countries as well as in the North America. Under the LVMH group, Sephora continues to expand the existing product lines and its current offerings include accessories, skin care, hair care, and make-up products. The company is renowned for its revolutionary products such as the anti-wrinkle cream StriVectin-SD. On its website, Sephora is highly recognized for providing the customers with an interactive shopping environment, and an unparalleled assortment of prestige products. Its products are most popular with those aged between 15 and 70 years old, and currently, the company operates in 24 countries. In North America, the company has established around 280 stores and mini-stores and has 11,000 products and 250 brands. Such a wide offerings ensures consumers needs and wants are adequately satisfied. 2.1 Products The company offers more than 200 brands and over 13,000 products and is considered a one-stop shop for all personal care needs. The company boasts of highly esteemed brands and trendy products and each of the brand features unique colors and packaging. In each of the stores, customers can receive innovative services from the Sephora professionals and it is this element that sets the company apart from its direct competitors. Maintaining high perceived quality products enables the company to charge premium prices. The prices of the available products and services are differentiated and this variation helps the company to serve a wider segment. Some of the products are highly priced while others are lowly priced to fit into the middle to upper range. The prices of course are higher than at other stores, and this price level is justified by the high quality services offered. 2.2 Communication and differentiation The company differentiates itself on three principles: freedom, experience and guarantee. In this regard, customers are guaranteed of quality services and they can s return product they are not satisfied with. Other guarantees include: VIP program and gift cards, and service popositions. Customers have freedom to choose their preferred products from a wide range of brands, they can test products, help is offered on request and services are tailored to the customers’ sneeds. Finally, the ‘experience’ proposition is enhanced through store events, promotion of the sense of ‘community’ and the inviting shopping environment. One of its competittos, Ulta, offers low-riced brands and has an outstanding membership program. However, Sephora’s products have higher perecievd quality and its stores and website ate more functional. In addition, the company differentiates itself from the major competitiors through better product offerings, better customer service and well-stablished commerce. 3. Use of digital marketing In the current business world the use of digital platform has become prevalent, and this strategy supplements the traditional selling models. Business entities are using web 2.0 platforms to popularize their products among the customers. Digital platforms are being used by organizations for several purposes. Firstly, according to, Kotler and Keller digital platforms are being used by firms to provide customers with current information about the available offers (67). In addition, through digital platforms, customers could order for goods and services such as consultations, product presentation, contract arrangements and product delivery. Due to the prevalence of the digital platforms, firms are able to reduce the operating costs, while allowing the customers to access goods and services without visiting brick and mortar stores. Secondly, digital platforms are being used by entities such as Sephora, for relationship marketing. Indeed, the marketing concept has expanded beyond intrusive advertising and sales promotional messages. In line with this new concept, organizations have developed enterprise-wide systems to acquire real-time information in order to improve the consumer services. By gathering customer-related information, business entities are able to identify and prospect new leads, identify consumers’ demographics, and offer customers personalized service. 3.1 Mobile applications Thirdly, digital platforms are being utilized by organizations to improve brand awareness. Ultimately, advertising platforms increases brand equity and provide value to the customers by enhancing confidence in purchase decisions. Most importantly, through constant advertising, company products achieve higher perceived quality, and hence they are able to command a premium price. The aspect of perceived high quality is very important in the cosmetics industry as customers are less likely to buy products that are deemed to be of low quality. According to, the available literature increasing brand awareness through digital platforms is very important as it positively impacts on brand loyalty, perceived quality, brand association and proprietary assets. In the cosmetics industry brand loyalty is associated with positive outcomes such as trade leverage, and reduced marketing costs. Sephora’s digital strategy involves various components such as the use of emails, customer relationship marketing, mobile and social platforms. In this regard, the company’s website contains many products, and each of these products has 25 different characteristics including target age group, ingredients and price. Through its website the company is able to gather customer-related information which is then used for target marketing. A detailed website analysis will be conducted details in the section below. Besides websites, the company’s products and services are sold through friendly applications. In this regard, the company has registered a huge increase over the past few years in mobile shopping on its website. Its ‘Sephora to Go’ app gives the customers huge offers including markdowns, freebies and weekly changing specials. Through the mobile app customers are also able to access reviews and access sore information about a particular product or a service. According to Schweiger, three-quarters of mobile traffic to Sephora comes from iOs devices, and these statistics highlight the importance of digital platforms to the company (61). The company’s relies on the mobile devices for relationship management using a function called ‘passbook’. Using this function, consumers are able to store beauty insider cards and e-gifts and redeem beauty insider points. In addition, the function allows the customers to access real-time information, view insider points balance and be notified of the upcoming insider perks and benefits. Offering these services reduces the customer churn rates while increasing brand loyalty. In addition, using the mobile devices the company hopes to make the online and offline interaction seamless. To further improve the experience of the customers visiting the retail stores, the company has introduced iPads to the Beauty Studio in 20 U.S. stores. Using these devices, customers are able to navigate the website and view the menu of services available at the studio. According to Schweiger, the company also hopes to install iPod touch point of-sale services which customers can use to make purchases or reference the store’s website (24). Another key capability of the ‘Sephora to Go’ iOs app is to scan the items, read reviews and access detailed information. Using this function, customers are able to access important information without physically visiting the stores 3.2 Social media platforms Another key component of the Sephora’ digital strategy is the use of social media platforms. In the recent times, there has been a prevalence of social media sites such as the Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Flickr. Through such tools business entities are able to improve brand awareness and engage directly with the customers. Most individuals, especially the youth, are on social media implying that social media is a good platform to utilize in strategic digital marketing. Sephora is well aware of this fact and they have attractive LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook profile. The social media is very interactive and goes a long way to ensuring that the customers can give their feedback about various products of the company. Such feedbacks are effective in ensuring that the company improves the quality of services and products to the satisfaction of the customers. As suggested by Wolfinbarger and Gilly, use of digital platforms has several advantages one of which is that it allows organizations to reach potential consumers in a cost-effective manner (40). However, for social media platforms to become effective there is need for marketers to develop a good relationship between the online networking community and the company. Such a positive relationship helps the marketers to attract quality prospects and maintain the right relationships with the customers. To ensure social media platforms are effective in identifying new leads, organizations are using monitoring tools such as the Crowd Control HQ. Through such tools, organizations can monitor the social network sphere and obtain information in real time (Kotler and Keller 76). Online branding has also become popular and organizations are already using this new found resource to collect consumer insights and a good example can be borrowed from Ford, which initiated an ambitious campaign in the hope of attracting more sales. Using the insights gathered from the bloggers and online communities, the company has been able to achieve continual incremental improvements and building trust with its customers. Through online networks, organizations are also able to improve the brand equity through the online advertising maximization models. Using this model, organizations are able to increase their online visibility, and the commonly used method is the ‘pay-per-click’ concept. According to, this concept, organizations pay-per-click to online publishers and has a potential of inducing the viral effect. The network effect allows the organization to pay information to a wider audience within a very short period of time, hence saving on advertising costs. The role of social media platforms in marketing can further be examined using the ‘virtual brand community’ concept. According to Wolfinbarger and Gilly, when a number of customers share the same interest in a particular product, they are more likely to remain loyal to that product (41). Through the virtual brand communities consumers are able to influence each other with their consumption decisions. Another key concept that is related to social media platform is shopper marketing. Shopper marketing is providing business entities and customers with new touch points and is defined as the planning and execution of marketing activities which influence buyers through entire purchase-decision-making process. Since social media platforms host subscribers from diverse backgrounds organizations can utilize this new-found resource to improve sales, improve the current offerings, and identify promoters. With the advance in technology, it is expected that social media platforms will be able to create more computer-generated space where the sellers and the buyers can meet. In regard, to the use of social media platforms, Sephora continues to use the Facebook to promote exclusive content, special offers, in-store events, beauty advice and customer service. To promote brand awareness, the company has initiated the ‘fan Fridays’ campaign to reward existing customers and persons in the virtual network. Sephora has also launched the ’15 Days of beauty thrills’ on the Facebook platform. Through this campaign, for each purchase a consumer makes, he or she gets an opportunity to win a ‘big thrill’ prize. Online users are eligible for prizes such as a trip for two to L.A, a Fiat with Gucci interior and a five hundred thousand dollar spree. To become eligible to various rewards and gifts, Facebook users are required to ‘like’ the Sephora page, and then enter to win. Users are also re-directed to the Sephora.com where they can gather information about the available offering from the website. According to Schweiger, the company has a huge presence in the popular platforms, and currently the company boast of about 300,000 followers in Twitter platform alone (62). Through the platform, users are able to get important feedback while giving the company gets an opportunity to raise awareness of its products and services though contests and giveaways. The reliance of the company on media platforms is well reflected in ad titled; ‘Sephora Pretty Planet Shopper.’ the ad features a reusable shopping tote which the Facebook fans could forward to their friends along with a message. On forwarding the message to another user, one is rewarded with a redeemable promotional code. As a result of this promotional campaign, the orders and referral traffic to Sephora.com increased tremendously, while during the entire campaign the company gathered over 10,274 fans, more than 3 million ad unit impressions and almost 15 million organic home page impressions. Beside social media platforms, the company continues to popularize its products and services through email listservs. The existing subscribers receive bi-weekly emails on new products, in-store events and exclusive coupons. 4. Website analysis To serve as many customers as possible, Sephora’s products are offered in many places, including through the brick-and-mortar stores. To broaden the reach of its products and services, the company also relies on seasonal catalogues and traditional placements. The company has more than one thousand stores in 25 countries and has partnered with JC Penney to improve accessibility of its products and services. Beside using the traditional brick-and-mortar model, the company has a dedicated website, which was launched in 1999. Through this website, customers are able tot buy a wide variety of products, view feedback and watch makeup tutorials. The website allows interactions between customers but according to, Schweiger, online purchasing contributes only 5% of total sales (23). However, with the increased penetration of internet technology, it is expected that the contribution of online purchases to total sales will continue to increase with time. The company’s prospects are promising given that it mainly serves a chic target audience, which has a high appetite for technology related tools such as websites and app channels. Beside selling products and services, Sephora’s website is used for promotional purposes. In this regard, customers are rewarded with free returns and three free samples with every order as well as free-shipping services. The customers receive a very rich in-store experience while encouraging infrequent buyers to explore new offerings. In addition, the promotional efforts carried out through the website help the company to reach younger audiences, who have a high probability of making repeat purchases for a long time. The sections below discuss other important aspects of the http://www.sephora.com/ 4.1 Targeting market According to Schweiger, Sephora serves households that over $150,000 annually and young women in their late teens through the late 20s (79). To reach this target market, the company is constantly revising its marketing mix and introducing refreshing and trendy products on its website. 4.2 Branding image Influencing the market’s behaviour occurs when the concerned company ignites some behaviour change among its consumers. This means causing them to act in some way that will lead to positive outcomes to the company under consideration. It is not enough to simply get consumers to like a brand or have a positive attitude towards it. The need for change in behaviours explains why direct to consumer advertisements are in favour. They tend to encourage buyers to engage in more practical forms of response such as product trials. The logotype is written in clear letters, represents modernism and is very visible from several angles. The logotype is very dynamic and can be adjusted to fit with different occasions and events. Just to illustrate, during Christmas periods, the logotype can be changed from black and white to teal or gold. The company’s symbol is the Sephora flame and is clearly visible on its various products and the website. The single elongated ‘S’ likens a hair strand and represents freedom of creativity and choice. The company’s brand mark is represented by the black and white lines, which are clearly visible in the company’s stores and various products. The black-and-white theme is replicated on the website, where you find that, names are printed in black and there is a lot of white space. Brand loyalty is very vital in this industry, as it for this reason that firms always strive to ensure the consumers become committed to their products and services. 4.3 Competitors Sephora faces unprecedented competition from other retail stores offering similar products, perfumes, cosmetic manufacturers and online retailers. According to Kerin, some of the specific competitors include Macy’s, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus (71). The company also competes directly with the renowned websites such as the drugstore.com and ulta.com. Despite this huge competition, the company has maintained leadership in the market due to a number of reasons. Firstly, Sephora concentrates on niche brands such as Stila and NARS and competitors do not have access to these brands. Secondly, the company’s website offers about 250+ brands, more than what websites and retail stores are willing to sell. Thirdly, the company’s website is highly interactive and gives customers unfettered access to their inventory, product information, ratings and reviews. To encourage online purchases, the customers are offered three samples for each online order. To deal with the competition from the physical outlets, the company has partnered with beauty manufacturers such as XpressSpa and JcPenny to offer in-store beauty treatment. 4.4 Promotional Activities 4.4.1 Beauty talk One of the prominent features of the Sephora’s website is the beauty talk which has over 1000,000 posts which users can read to gain information about product categories, gain expert advice and ask beauty questions. Customers not only receive instant replies to their questions, but also get to watch video tutorials about Sephora’s professional make-up artists. Also featured in the beauty talk is the ‘top 10’ product list which is put together with the help of beauty celebrities, brand founders and artists. The beauty talk also features a lounge where users can share their hauls and beauty confessions. In essence, the beauty talk engages the users and through this relationship, the company benefits by attaining more sales. 4.4.2 TV The Sephora’s website features a ‘TV’ tab where customers are able to access information on make-ups, nail, hair and skincare products. Also featured in the TV are trendy stories, and how-to videos, extras and brand highlights. Some of the videos featured include, how to get a Hollywood glamorous look, and how to apply the lock-it foundation. Each video on the website contain a link to relevant product collections. 4.4.3 Pinterest Beauty Boards Through the website, the company hosts several competitions and a perfect example is the ‘Sephora Color Wash’ competition which requires the participants to create boards in the hair and beauty categories for a chance to win Sephora gift cards. Beside that, every product on the website has a special ‘pin-it’ link which directs participants can add to their boards. The website encourages the users to create beauty ‘shopping’ lists which are then curated by the company’s employees. The company sends emails to the clients highlighting the products in their pinterest accounts. The pinterest-centric emails encourage the shoppers to follow up with actual purchases and the strategy helps the company to make more sales and identify the content which is most popular with the pinners. To date, the pinnable emails have been highly successful and have driven up online activity while the time users spend on the company’s website has increased. 4.4.4 Emails Email marketing is a new trend in digitalized marketing, though it is gaining popularity. The company has put in place frantic efforts to optimize the email marketing. This platform is effective because it is interactive in nature and, therefore, the potential customers can constructively engage with the department for the good of the company. To receive personalized service from the company, one is required to subscribe to periodicals. The e-newsletters are sent to the subscribers frequently informing them about the upcoming events, contests, in-store promotions and new products. Managers connect with employees through email. 4.5 SWOT analysis 4.5.1 Strengths As suggested by Schweiger, one of Sephora’s key strengths is the self-service approach to cosmetics (61). The aspect of self-service is evident on the website, where customers can access all manner of products and services with little effort. The company also uses the website to collect consumers’ information and track their buying habits. Using information collected through the website and loyalty card, the company is able to target specific campaigns and promotions. Through the website, customers are able to ask product-related questions and seek expert advice, and this service encourages them to buy more products from the company. Most importantly, the website is one of the ways in which the company is able to target customers from different age and income demographics. The young and trendy consumers, who otherwise would not be reached using the traditional marketing strategies, are able to order quality products from the website. The website is also linked to the media platforms, hence allowing the company to generate more revenue from online purchases. 4.5.2 Weakness Sephora’s products and services are highly priced compared to the competitors’ hence hindering the company’s efforts to penetrate the low-end market. In addition, although the website increases the company’s visibility, the company’s stores are mainly located in the metropolitan areas, hence limiting the size of its core customer base. In addition, while the company’s website has been quite successful in attracting potential customers, the company has not been aggressively promoting its offerings through TV promotions and print advertisements. As a result, the gain made through the website, or lost due to failure of the company to embrace an integrated communication mix. 4.5.3 Opportunities The company’s website provides the company with a limitless opportunity to an ever growing online community. In recent times, the consumers have shown interest in green products and in the cosmetic industry, the manufacturers have been striving to come up with environmentally friendly products and services to satisfy this new breed of customers. At the moment, the company’s website offers a limited collection of green cosmetics, and could improve the current performance by expanding its current offerings. The need to expand the current cosmetic product line is supported by Josephine and Ritsuko, in a study titled, pro-environmental products: marketing influence on customer purchase decision (282). In this study, Josephine and Ritsuko used quantitative methodologies to examine the prevalence of the green products and greener patterns of consumption among the population (285). Using a sample size of 52 mothers, Josephine and Ritsuko found out that there is a growing appetite for green products but unfortunately, most consumers cannot identify them. Consequently, it is very important that the company develops a section in the website dedicated to the selling and marketing of green products. An article by John, James and Alexander suggests that internet marketing is gaining huge popularity and is expected to maintain this momentum in the next few decades (722). John, James and Alexander further finds that men are increasingly using cosmetics and skin moisturizers and the company can capitalize on this opportunity by expanding the current offerings targeting male customers (725). It is also worth noting that the demographics have been shifting, and the number of elderly customers is expected to increase. This event presents the company with an opportunity to market its products to the baby boomers and the elderly customers. Likewise, the purchasing power of the minority groups is rising, and this presents the company with another opportunity to improve its current profit margins. The company’s could also improve its current financial performance by partnering with departmental stores. Such a strategy will not only improve the company’s profitability but also sits brand recognition. 4.5.3 Threats Following the 2008 economic crisis, the consumers’ purchasing pattern have been affected due to diminishing disposable income. The cosmetic industry was not spared by the economic meltdown, as customers are apprehensive about buying the cosmetic products. Beside being affected by the economic downturn, Sephora is affected by the growing competition in the cosmetic industry. In particular, Sephora ability to compete effectively is being eroded by business entities which offer similar products and services at much lower prices. Already, departmental stores such as Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom have well established websites that offer high-end products and skin care merchandise. Similarly, there are many specialty stores that sell similar products and services and as such the company has to adopt an innovative strategy of differentiating its products and services. 4.6 Creativity and design 4.6.1 Fly-out menu The main items in the website- makeup, skin care, fragrance, bath and body, nails, hair, tools and brushes, me, gifts, sale, and brands - are arranged horizontally in a fly-out menu. Once a customer hovers over each of these elements, they open automatically and sub-items are revealed. Just to illustrate, when one hovers over the ‘make-up’ item the following sub items are revealed: face makeup, eye makeup, lips and quick links. The main menu items and the sub-items are well arranged, hence allowing the customers to quickly choose their preferred products and services. The website does not permit re-loading of pages, and the number of mouse clicks is highly minimized. These elements reduce the complexity of using the site and shorten the navigation paths. The menu is cleverly designed in such a way that it moves to the right and does not cover the menu items. Just to illustrate, on hovering over the ‘bath & body’ item, the neighboring items –nails and fragrance- are still clearly visible. The main menu also rolls down to reveal the sub items within the group. This element encourages quick and easy selection of the preferred products and services. On opening a sub-item, a number of products are revealed and customers filter the search using the following elements which are located at the left: price-range, size, skin type, brand, and ingredient differences. In sum, the website contains rich information and the customers have a wide choice of items from which they can choose from. Other advantages of the fly-out menu include: it eliminates clustering up of the screen estate with navigation and unwanted details, it preserves enough area to write the content and sit provides access to the desired sections. Although the fly-out menu promotes proper use of the available space, it may create a diagonal problem. 4.6.2 Content As Kotler and Philip observe, content need to be organized in such a way that it is easy for customers to find the desired products (67). Kotler and Philip further suggest that, when it comes to the content arrangement, companies could use a brick-and-mortar model whereby products are placed on paths that buyers travel to reach other frequently purchased items (81). However, in online stores, this concept rarely works as companies are required to shorten the navigation paths and suggest the popular items based on the past and the current shopping behavior. On the Sephora’s website, there are quick links which help a consumer to access the bestsellers, the ‘just-arrived’ products, weekly specials, and the gift centers. These quick links are very important as they allow the customer to save time by gaining quick access to the desired products and services. According to Jansen and Mullen, there are three types of online models: warehouse and grocery store model, the specialty-store model and the department store model (120). The warehouse and grocery store model allow businesses to maximize the space available with little regard to the customers’ preferences. On the other hand, the departmental-store model allows products and services to be arranged in ‘departments’, while disregarding elements such as economy of space and stocking efficiency. The model is very common among the online retailers as it puts into the considerations the consumers’ needs. The Sephora’s website is designed in accordance with the departmental-store model where you find similar items are grouped together. For instance, under the ‘Bath and body’ item you find related products such as lotions and creams, and bath and shower products. Likewise, under the skincare products you find cleansing products, moisturizers, skin treatment products and sun protection products. According to Jansen and Mullen, grouping related products together facilitates the customers in the decision making process (118). In addition, grouping similar products together is considered more effective than showing lone products in isolation. 4.6.3 The shopping experience The purchase decision is affected by the ease and speed at which the exchange is accomplished. In, addition, the level of enjoyment and the overall cost of the transaction influences a customer in making a purchase decision. Aware of these facts, Sephora has created an interactive website which makes it easier for the customer to locate the desirable product and even suggest other related products. Just to illustrate, on selecting the Amazing Grace Gift Set, the website suggests the following options: the Amazing Grace Firming Body emulsion, amazing Grace Fragrance, Amazing Grace Shampoo, Bath and Shower gel, and the Amazing Grace Whipped body ream. Besides the ease of use and good design, the checkout process is fast and the customer can see all the items in the basket and their corresponding amounts. These elements encourage the customer to complete the transaction, make repeat purchases and even give feedback, hence attracting other customers. 5. Sephora to Go Beside the main website, the customer has a mobile friendly website that can be accessed through the mobile devices. On this site, customers can access product reviews and ratings on a wide variety of products and services. In 2010, the company developed the “Sephora to Go” iPhone application to help the customers to quickly access the mobile site, purchase products view special offers, create a gift registry and scan barcodes to view product information. 6. Conclusion The Sephora’s website is highly interactive and preserves the company brandmark, symbol and the logotype. The website is uncluttered and its contents are arranged to the departmental-store model which emphasizes on grouping similar products. The menu items are arranged horizontally in a fly-out style and they cover the main services and products offered by the company. Social media provides a platform for connecting with customers in a personal yet public way. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the organisation would prioritise such a platform over others. The use of an interactive website indicates that the firm values its clients. Sephora wants to foster dialogue with its clientele, and has invested in ensuring that this happens. It is likely that such an approach will solidify support from the sporting community and thus propel the organisation to even greater success. The website offers customers an enriching experience, but the contribution of online purchases to the total sales which means that the company should invest more in online advertising. In addition, the company should consider creating an item for green products and using animations in its advertisements. Works Cited Jansen, Bernard and Mullen Tracy (2008). “Sponsored search: an overview of the concept, history, and technology.” International Journal of Electronic Business 6.2(2008): 114–131. Print. John, Schibrowsky, James Peltier, and Alexander Nill. “The state of internet marketing research: A review of the literature and future research directions.” European Journal of Marketing 41. 8(2007): 722 – 733. Print Josephine, Pickett-Baker, and Ritsuko Ozaki. “Pro-environmental products: marketing influence on the consumer purchase decision.” Journal of Consumer Marketing 25.5(2008): 281 - 293 Kerin, Roger A. Marketing: The Core. McGaw-Hill Ryerson, 2012. Print Kotler, Armstrong, and Philip Gary. Principles of Marketing. Pearson education, 2012. Print Kotler, Philip and Keller Kevin. Marketing Management. Pearson Education Limited, 2012. Print Schweiger, Melissa. Sephora: The ultimate guide to makeup, skin and hair from the beauty authority. HarperCollins, 2008. Print Wolfinbarger, Mary and Gilly Mary. “Shopping Online for Freedom, Control, and Fun.” California Management Review 43.2 (2001): 34-56. Print. Read More