June 25, 2026
vzphoto/Depositphotos.com
As Sephora Rolls Out ‘Quiet Hours,’ Will the Idea Gain Even Wider Traction With Retailers?
In a move designed to improve inclusivity and provide a more comfortable shopping experience — and apparently give store associates a bit of a breather — beauty retailer Sephora has announced the implementation of quiet hours in its stores across the globe. The initiative was developed following consultation with Open Inclusion, Purposeful Futures, internal employee resource groups, and the broader neurodiversity community, per a recent press release.
“At Sephora, we’re driven by our purpose to champion a world of inspiration and inclusion where everyone can celebrate their beauty. With Quiet Hours at Sephora, we provide a beautifully calm atmosphere where clients feel welcome, allowing them to shop at their own pace, find and purchase the products they love,” said Deborah Yeh, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Sephora.
The results of an initial pilot program involving 32 stores in eight markets spurred this broader rollout, with a majority of neurodivergent consumers polled saying that the Quiet Hours program had notably enhanced their shopping experience — and a whopping 90% of those polled believe that the program “makes Sephora stores more inclusive and welcoming for all.”
Sephora’s not the only retailer who has made a commitment to providing sensory-friendly hours during regular business operations: In 2023 Walmart began the practice of executing sensory-friendly hours in all U.S. and Puerto Rico stores on a daily basis, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Noise is reduced, displays are either turned off or tuned to a static image, the radio is turned off, and lights are dimmed when possible.
In a report delivered shortly after Walmart’s move, Forbes contributor Sonia Thompson asked the question of how these moves toward inclusion — naming sensory-friendly hours as well as beauty products serving a wider range of complexions as examples — might impact brands moving forward.
“Don’t wait for your brand to lose sales and market share, before deciding to be inclusive of consumers. They’ll remember the ones who took the time to see them first, when nobody else did. They’ll also notice the brands who took the time to see them, only after everyone else did,” she advised.
Are Increased Sensory-Friendly Hours and ‘Digital Detox’ Trends at Odds With Retail Goals in Any Way?
And while there’s a definite shift towards increased focus on sensory-friendly hours and a broader “tech-light” retail environment — as Canadian SME pointed out, also noting that Canadian grocery chain Sobeys was on-board — are there any areas of friction involved?
Examples highlighted by the magazine indicated that retailers would more generally move towards reduced digital signage (which could hamper RMN and in-store advertising campaigns); reduced scents or fragrances (perhaps stymieing the aims of a bakery, prepared foods department, or QSR); and noise in general (including cart collection, pallet breakdown or inventory shifting/restocks, in addition to in-store audio marketing such as the sort that Dollar General is heavily invested in).
While most analysts seem to agree that the positives outweigh the benefits, a balancing point is still being sought out. And as for the Sephora employees polled on the subject of the company’s new quiet hours, it appears they are in favor.
“Quiet Hour is my favorite time of the week; it gives me a break from distracting noises and gives me a chance to step back and process every situation. We can build stronger connections with clients as we are in a calmer environment, and both feel at peace,” said one beauty advisor.
“I’ve observed that lowering music, adjusting lighting, and offering mobile checkout options truly make a difference for clients who prefer a calmer atmosphere. These small adjustments not only support neurodivergent clients but also enhance comfort for all shoppers,” a second added.
BrainTrust
Doug Garnett
President, Protonik
Jeff Hall
President, Second To None
Pamela Kaplan
Principal, PK Consulting
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Discussion Questions
Do you believe that sensory-friendly or quiet hour policies will proliferate in physical retail both in scope and in practice? Why or why not?
In your opinion, where is the line of best fit when it comes to the implementation of these policies versus ‘business as usual,’ or is there a third path forward?
What other inclusion efforts should retailers consider to make the shopping experience more comfortable, in your view?
Poll
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Most stores are designed to engage, but they can also overwhelm. Quiet hours are a nice way of allowing customers to shop in a calmer environment. That’s great for those with conditions like autism, but it’s also helpful for anyone who just wants a bit of peace. This isn’t a new thing. Walmart has had it for quite a while, and many UK grocers have long offered quieter periods. Will more retailers roll it out? I hope so. But the wider point here is that store environments matter and they set moods: too much clutter and clatter are often not conducive to a good experience.
Quiet hours will absolutely grow because shoppers are telling retailers they want more than stimulation. They want space to shop in a way that feels comfortable.
Stores were built to grab attention, but too much sound, scent, light, and screen time can wear people down fast. Sephora is smart to recognize that a calmer store helps neurodivergent shoppers, associates, and plenty of customers who simply want a little breathing room.
The third path is rhythm. Stores do not need to choose between energy and calm. There are moments to inspire, moments to sell, and moments to let the customer settle in.
The best retailers will treat quiet hours as more than a policy. They will look at lighting, music, signage, scent, staffing, and store pace with more care.
I think this is a brilliant idea.
Sephora’s Quiet Hours are a reminder that a “better experience” does not always mean adding more stimulation, technology or activity. In fact, it can be just the opposite, especially for those who are neurodivergent or naturally sensitive to many environments.
For some customers, the most meaningful improvement is simply a calmer environment that lets them browse, decide and engage at their own pace. Lower music, fewer screen distractions and more intentional sensory design can make a store more welcoming without changing its core brand experience.
There is a real opportunity in this concept, for many types of retailers. I look forward to following this Sephora story to see if it influences others in becoming more inclusive.
This article took a remarkably long time to get to the specifics (which, to be fair, I think is a reflection of the rather lettuce-rich word salad Sephora itself offered). In old-fashioned language, the sound track won’t be blaring, the lighting won’t require sunglasses and AI-generated holograms won’t be getting happy feet. So far, so good…at least that’s how I feel. But one has to think that type of environment has developed because it generally encourages people to buy things, so I don’t know how popular the idea will become, Even Sephora, I suspect, hit a wall early: will they be suppressing fragrances with the same vigor as a store that…well, doesn’t sell fragrances ?
It is hard to predict the business effectiveness of this move. But I hope they find it successful -– and suspect they will. The recent decades of store design (and restaurant design) have been based on the theory that people are motivated by noise. Yet only some people are motivated by noise. Far more than anyone might expect have had to put up with stores hostile to what they would prefer.
i am, though, disappointed to see this classed under “inclusion” rather than simply a recognition that there is no single type of shopper.
Next step: control the overwhelming visual noise of stores. Somehow we have reached a point where commercial messages are plastered everywhere believing that is effective. It isn’t – but I’ve not run into many executives willing to break the mold to find better balance.
For one example, I wrote about overwhelming silliness of these approaches on airplanes and in airports. In this old post, Dramamine ads guaranteed to cause airsickness. https://www.douggarnett.com/communication/ad-fail-dramamine-ads-cause-air-sickness/
Those ads were brutal!
My airline beef is with loud, frequent, and elongated announcements over poorly designed overhead cabin audio systems. Other than listening to the initial safety briefing and occasional conversation with the flight attendant or seat mates, earbuds with noise reduction are great for the rest of the flight.
Jumbo, a Dutch supermarket chain, introduced “Chat Checkouts” a few years ago, slow moving lanes that encourage interaction with the cashier. The purpose is to help reduce loneliness and ease anxiety among older shoppers. Indie pet stores offer quiet time when the store is closed so anxious dogs can enjoy shopping without the usual triggers. It’s typically for one dog at a time.
I haven’t encountered quiet time in traditional retail yet, but at Sephora? A few hours without kids and teen influencers treating the aisles like a social media set might be the best customer experience upgrade of the year.
And I can already hear the tech vendors we read about so frequently on RetailWire clutching their algorithms. Digital detox hours is almost heresy.
hear the tech vendors we read about so frequently on RetailWire clutching their algorithms. Digital detox hours is almost heresy
That should be our next DD: can any negative to retailing outweigh the postive externalities of frustrating Tech bros ?? I say H*** NO!! 🙂
I’m with you!
Physical stores’ multisensory experiences are strategic assets yet they can overwhelm shoppers with heightened senses. Accommodating these customers can make them feel understood, valued and more willing to visit Sephora stores.
Other retailers will watch how Sephora’s (and Walmart’s and Starbucks’) inclusive store practices pay off before deciding to emulate them.
Other retailers indeed will be watching closely. If execution is done well, and sales increase, the pressure to test it themselves will be strong.
This is a smart initiative and it’s clearly resonating – the pilot results back that up. The harder part is executing consistently at scale. Dimming lights and turning off the radio is one thing but getting every store and associate aligned on the experience is where programs can get tricky. That said, the early signs of this initiative look promising.
I often choose BOPIS because I find Sephora’s in-store environment overwhelming, particularly the fragrance. So I totally get the appeal of Quiet Hours.
With that said, Sephora intentionally built a highly stimulating retail environment as a core part of its brand experience. Now they’re carving out hours that offer a fundamentally different experience. That raises an interesting strategic question: when does evolving the customer experience strengthen a brand, and when does it start to dilute what made it distinctive in the first place?
At what point does welcome sensory input become irritating and distracting noise…??? Sooner than later for this shopper. The retailers quest for the shoppers attention has gotten a little out of hand. And we are just getting warmed up on retail media. So reading about sensory-friendly and quiet hour policies is welcome indeed. But we still need to buckle in and watch how AI fuels in-store retail media. Let’s watch the $$$ invested and then the deep dive for ROI. At some point, sensory curation will be as important as product curation.
Sephora’s quiet hours are less radical than they appear. Walmart has operated sensory-friendly hours for years, and European grocers longer still. With an LVMH parent steeped in a retail culture where calm, attentive service is the standard, this move fits naturally. The more interesting signal is what associate feedback reveals: a quieter environment strengthens human connection, which is precisely Sephora’s competitive advantage over online and mass-market alternatives. The proliferation question largely answers itself. When a practice costs little, serves associates and customers simultaneously, and reinforces the core value proposition, adoption follows. The harder test arrives when a retailer’s monetization model depends on the very stimulation being removed.
Sephora’s Quiet Hours initiative is a strong example of how retailers can improve the store experience without adding more technology or complexity. Most stores are designed to stimulate customers with music, screens, lighting, scent, and activity, but that does not work for every shopper. Creating calmer shopping windows makes the store more inclusive for neurodivergent customers, while also benefiting anyone who prefers a quieter environment.
I do expect more retailers to adopt some version of this, especially in categories where browsing, service, and comfort matter. The key is not to treat quiet hours as a one-time policy, but as part of a broader store experience strategy. Retailers need to think more carefully about lighting, sound, signage, staffing, checkout options, and pace. The best approach is not choosing between energy and calm, but designing the store to support different customer needs at different times.
There’s likely greater appeal in this beyond neurodivergent customers. With current trial and testing, Quiet Hour could see many more retailers embracing the merits of broader sensory reduction levels for the many customers who want a more relaxed and happy shopping experience. In addition to reduction of sensory overload, shoppers enjoy wider walkways, removal of narrow merchandising blockades, warmer lighting, music that doesn’t startle, reduction or elimination of manufactured scents, and easy to read signage. This shouldn’t be so hard to adopt.
I believe retailers should be careful not to see Quiet Hours as a standalone initiative, but as part of a much bigger conversation about inclusive customer experiences.
One of the most interesting findings for me wasn’t just the positive response from neurodivergent customers, but from Sephora colleagues too. When the environment becomes calmer, teams have greater capacity to build genuine connections rather than simply managing noise and distraction. That’s a win for everyone.
Quiet Hours are a fantastic step forward, but the real opportunity is to apply the same customer-first thinking across the entire retail journey. Inclusion shouldn’t be an event in the schedule but it should become part of the standard operating model.
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Most stores are designed to engage, but they can also overwhelm. Quiet hours are a nice way of allowing customers to shop in a calmer environment. That’s great for those with conditions like autism, but it’s also helpful for anyone who just wants a bit of peace. This isn’t a new thing. Walmart has had it for quite a while, and many UK grocers have long offered quieter periods. Will more retailers roll it out? I hope so. But the wider point here is that store environments matter and they set moods: too much clutter and clatter are often not conducive to a good experience.
Quiet hours will absolutely grow because shoppers are telling retailers they want more than stimulation. They want space to shop in a way that feels comfortable.
Stores were built to grab attention, but too much sound, scent, light, and screen time can wear people down fast. Sephora is smart to recognize that a calmer store helps neurodivergent shoppers, associates, and plenty of customers who simply want a little breathing room.
The third path is rhythm. Stores do not need to choose between energy and calm. There are moments to inspire, moments to sell, and moments to let the customer settle in.
The best retailers will treat quiet hours as more than a policy. They will look at lighting, music, signage, scent, staffing, and store pace with more care.
I think this is a brilliant idea.
Sephora’s Quiet Hours are a reminder that a “better experience” does not always mean adding more stimulation, technology or activity. In fact, it can be just the opposite, especially for those who are neurodivergent or naturally sensitive to many environments.
For some customers, the most meaningful improvement is simply a calmer environment that lets them browse, decide and engage at their own pace. Lower music, fewer screen distractions and more intentional sensory design can make a store more welcoming without changing its core brand experience.
There is a real opportunity in this concept, for many types of retailers. I look forward to following this Sephora story to see if it influences others in becoming more inclusive.
This article took a remarkably long time to get to the specifics (which, to be fair, I think is a reflection of the rather lettuce-rich word salad Sephora itself offered). In old-fashioned language, the sound track won’t be blaring, the lighting won’t require sunglasses and AI-generated holograms won’t be getting happy feet. So far, so good…at least that’s how I feel. But one has to think that type of environment has developed because it generally encourages people to buy things, so I don’t know how popular the idea will become, Even Sephora, I suspect, hit a wall early: will they be suppressing fragrances with the same vigor as a store that…well, doesn’t sell fragrances ?
It is hard to predict the business effectiveness of this move. But I hope they find it successful -– and suspect they will. The recent decades of store design (and restaurant design) have been based on the theory that people are motivated by noise. Yet only some people are motivated by noise. Far more than anyone might expect have had to put up with stores hostile to what they would prefer.
i am, though, disappointed to see this classed under “inclusion” rather than simply a recognition that there is no single type of shopper.
Next step: control the overwhelming visual noise of stores. Somehow we have reached a point where commercial messages are plastered everywhere believing that is effective. It isn’t – but I’ve not run into many executives willing to break the mold to find better balance.
For one example, I wrote about overwhelming silliness of these approaches on airplanes and in airports. In this old post, Dramamine ads guaranteed to cause airsickness. https://www.douggarnett.com/communication/ad-fail-dramamine-ads-cause-air-sickness/
Those ads were brutal!
My airline beef is with loud, frequent, and elongated announcements over poorly designed overhead cabin audio systems. Other than listening to the initial safety briefing and occasional conversation with the flight attendant or seat mates, earbuds with noise reduction are great for the rest of the flight.
Jumbo, a Dutch supermarket chain, introduced “Chat Checkouts” a few years ago, slow moving lanes that encourage interaction with the cashier. The purpose is to help reduce loneliness and ease anxiety among older shoppers. Indie pet stores offer quiet time when the store is closed so anxious dogs can enjoy shopping without the usual triggers. It’s typically for one dog at a time.
I haven’t encountered quiet time in traditional retail yet, but at Sephora? A few hours without kids and teen influencers treating the aisles like a social media set might be the best customer experience upgrade of the year.
And I can already hear the tech vendors we read about so frequently on RetailWire clutching their algorithms. Digital detox hours is almost heresy.
That should be our next DD: can any negative to retailing outweigh the postive externalities of frustrating Tech bros ?? I say H*** NO!! 🙂
I’m with you!
Physical stores’ multisensory experiences are strategic assets yet they can overwhelm shoppers with heightened senses. Accommodating these customers can make them feel understood, valued and more willing to visit Sephora stores.
Other retailers will watch how Sephora’s (and Walmart’s and Starbucks’) inclusive store practices pay off before deciding to emulate them.
Other retailers indeed will be watching closely. If execution is done well, and sales increase, the pressure to test it themselves will be strong.
This is a smart initiative and it’s clearly resonating – the pilot results back that up. The harder part is executing consistently at scale. Dimming lights and turning off the radio is one thing but getting every store and associate aligned on the experience is where programs can get tricky. That said, the early signs of this initiative look promising.
I often choose BOPIS because I find Sephora’s in-store environment overwhelming, particularly the fragrance. So I totally get the appeal of Quiet Hours.
With that said, Sephora intentionally built a highly stimulating retail environment as a core part of its brand experience. Now they’re carving out hours that offer a fundamentally different experience. That raises an interesting strategic question: when does evolving the customer experience strengthen a brand, and when does it start to dilute what made it distinctive in the first place?
At what point does welcome sensory input become irritating and distracting noise…??? Sooner than later for this shopper. The retailers quest for the shoppers attention has gotten a little out of hand. And we are just getting warmed up on retail media. So reading about sensory-friendly and quiet hour policies is welcome indeed. But we still need to buckle in and watch how AI fuels in-store retail media. Let’s watch the $$$ invested and then the deep dive for ROI. At some point, sensory curation will be as important as product curation.
Sephora’s quiet hours are less radical than they appear. Walmart has operated sensory-friendly hours for years, and European grocers longer still. With an LVMH parent steeped in a retail culture where calm, attentive service is the standard, this move fits naturally. The more interesting signal is what associate feedback reveals: a quieter environment strengthens human connection, which is precisely Sephora’s competitive advantage over online and mass-market alternatives. The proliferation question largely answers itself. When a practice costs little, serves associates and customers simultaneously, and reinforces the core value proposition, adoption follows. The harder test arrives when a retailer’s monetization model depends on the very stimulation being removed.
Sephora’s Quiet Hours initiative is a strong example of how retailers can improve the store experience without adding more technology or complexity. Most stores are designed to stimulate customers with music, screens, lighting, scent, and activity, but that does not work for every shopper. Creating calmer shopping windows makes the store more inclusive for neurodivergent customers, while also benefiting anyone who prefers a quieter environment.
I do expect more retailers to adopt some version of this, especially in categories where browsing, service, and comfort matter. The key is not to treat quiet hours as a one-time policy, but as part of a broader store experience strategy. Retailers need to think more carefully about lighting, sound, signage, staffing, checkout options, and pace. The best approach is not choosing between energy and calm, but designing the store to support different customer needs at different times.
There’s likely greater appeal in this beyond neurodivergent customers. With current trial and testing, Quiet Hour could see many more retailers embracing the merits of broader sensory reduction levels for the many customers who want a more relaxed and happy shopping experience. In addition to reduction of sensory overload, shoppers enjoy wider walkways, removal of narrow merchandising blockades, warmer lighting, music that doesn’t startle, reduction or elimination of manufactured scents, and easy to read signage. This shouldn’t be so hard to adopt.
I believe retailers should be careful not to see Quiet Hours as a standalone initiative, but as part of a much bigger conversation about inclusive customer experiences.
One of the most interesting findings for me wasn’t just the positive response from neurodivergent customers, but from Sephora colleagues too. When the environment becomes calmer, teams have greater capacity to build genuine connections rather than simply managing noise and distraction. That’s a win for everyone.
Quiet Hours are a fantastic step forward, but the real opportunity is to apply the same customer-first thinking across the entire retail journey. Inclusion shouldn’t be an event in the schedule but it should become part of the standard operating model.