Department stores are transforming to attract beauty shoppers who increasingly turn to TikTok and Amazon for advice and purchases. This shift in consumer preferences has prompted significant changes in how these stores operate.
Shifting Beauty Trends and Shop Experience
Shoppers like Quinn Kelsey value personal recommendations through social media and AI tools over traditional salespeople. As TikTok influences beauty trends, traditional department stores are losing market share.
Major retailers are renovating to create experiences that feel unique compared to online shopping. Macy’s and Nordstrom have revamped their beauty sections, adding luxury brands and interactive technology.
Store Makeovers and Customer Engagement
Stores have adopted some self-service features found in Sephora. This includes areas for customers to test products and experience services like robot-applied eyelash extensions at Nordstrom for $170.
Retails aim to create environments that encourage longer visits and increased spending. Comfortable seating and advanced skin analysis devices are now part of Macy’s strategy to promote higher-priced skincare products.
Facing Strong Competition
Sephora has been updating its stores to improve privacy and efficiency. They are moving application stations for a better customer experience and speeding up checkouts with portable payment devices.
Walmart has also begun offering higher-end beauty products, creating more competition. TikTok is becoming a key place for discovering new beauty trends and brands, impacting how consumers shop.
Alex Chen is a senior technology journalist with a decade of experience exploring the ever-evolving world of emerging technologies, cloud computing, hardware engineering, and AI-powered tools.
A graduate of Stanford University with a B.S. in Computer Engineering (2014), Alex blends his strong technical background with a journalist’s curiosity to provide insightful coverage of global innovations.
He has contributed to leading international outlets such as TechRadar, Tom’s Hardware, and The Verge, where his in-depth analyses and hardware reviews earned a reputation for precision and reliability.
Currently based in Paris, France, Alex focuses on bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world applications — from AI-driven productivity tools to next-generation gaming and cloud infrastructure. His work consistently highlights how technology reshapes industries, creativity, and the human experience.
