There’s no standard rollout strategy for Accelerate brands or any brands breaking into Sephora’s universe, for that matter. However, many are placed online before entering stores. Bojanowski explains the online-first approach allows Sephora to move quicker, gather customer insights and refine positioning before taking bigger bets on brick-and-mortar distribution.

She says, “There is not a one-size-fits-all approach, as launch strategies are tailored to best support each brand’s needs.”

One of Sephora’s most visible launch vehicles is The Next Big Thing assortment, a merchandising display housing products from emerging brands in high-traffic settings. Accelerate brands are also highlighted during key marketing periods like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and holiday campaigns as well as social and category-specific storytelling initiatives.

Sephora previously revamped Accelerate in 2021, when it pivoted its focus exclusively on brands from founders of color as part of its commitment to the Fifteen Percent Pledge. Sephora stresses founders from all backgrounds are welcome to apply.

Bojanowski says, “Success in the next five years looks much like it has previously: finding new voices to make the beauty world a more welcoming place for all.”

According to Sephora, the selection process at Accelerate mirrors the selection process for its assortment: identifying brands with differentiated products, strong brand vision and a unique perspective. Those standards still hold, but Bojanowski says the retailer has become more intentional about embedding that thinking throughout the company to ensure it consistently identifies emerging brands with the greatest potential. “That consistency is part of the ‘secret sauce’ behind what makes Sephora, Sephora,” she says.

Sephora isn’t the only beauty retailer aiming to nurture emerging brands before they hit the mainstream. Launched in 2022 in partnership with the Fifteen Percent Pledge, Ulta’s MUSE Accelerator has graduated 32 brands from its 10-week retail readiness and mentorship program so far, and awarded over $1.5 million in direct funding to them. Established in 2018, Sally Beauty’s Cultivate program has similarly offered mentorship, funding and potential retail distribution to emerging beauty founders. Walmart and Target have run programs Walmart Start, Target Accelerators and Target Takeoff.

The evolution of Accelerate comes as Sephora continues to outperform much of the luxury market. Selective Retailing, the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy division that includes Sephora, DFS and Le Bon Marché, posted 4% organic revenue growth in the first quarter, ahead of the company overall, which grew 1% organically during the period.