Sephora Will Temporarily Close All Stores For A One Day “Inclusion Workshop”

Make-Up retailer Sephora will temporarily close all stores on June 5 to hold “inclusion workshops” for all employees in an effort to “build a more inclusive beauty community.”

The training comes one month after Sza tweeted about her experience in Sephora where an employee called security on her while she was shopping at a store in Calabasas, California.

Sephora immediately faced backlash on social media as Sza’s “Sandy Sephora” story went viral.

The company’s move is similar to that of coffee chain Starbucks, who temporarily closed all stores in May of 2018 to hold employee training after two black customers were racially profiled for sitting in a Starbucks, employees at the Starbucks- called police on the patrons and the men were ultimately arrested.

Sephora released a statement via social media saying, “On the morning of 6/5, every Sephora store, distribution center, and corporate office in the US will close to host inclusion workshops for our employees,” the company said.

A Sephora representative told Business Insider that the “We Belong to Something Beautiful” campaign has been in the works for at least a year, including planning for inclusivity training for several months.

“We Belong to Something Beautiful builds on the many diversity and inclusion programs that have existed at Sephora since its inception and has been in the works for at least one year – as has the store closure and inclusivity workshop … This is a proactive message to support Sephora’s new manifesto and commitment,” the representative said in an email.