Sephora’s quiet hours are expanding nationwide for compassionate shopping
Amanda Ensing when she was dropped by Sephora
Sephora is introducing “quiet hours” to all of its US stores, the latest sign that major retailers are investing in sensory shopping aimed at making stores more accessible to neurodivergent customers.
The beauty retailer announced that during the designated opening hours, stores will turn down the music volume, adjust in-store digital screens and reduce fragrances to create a calmer shopping environment. Sephora has not announced a nationwide schedule for quiet shopping periods.
The nationwide rollout follows a pilot program in 32 Sephora stores in eight markets. The company said it developed the program together with disability advocacy organization Open Inclusion and consultancy Purposeful Futures after gathering feedback from consumers of neurodivergent and sensory aesthetics.
“Quiet Hours at Sephora is one important step in our ongoing commitment to creating welcoming spaces for our employees, consumers and communities,” said Deborah Yeh, Sephora’s global chief marketing officer, in a statement.
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Kohl’s plans to turn Sephora into a $2 billion business by opening 850 locations by 2023. (Photo courtesy of Kohl’s. ©2017 Kohl’s Department Stores, Inc. / Fox News)
The move comes as retailers continue to view accessibility programs as a customer service effort and a way to reach a broader customer base.
Walmart became the first major US retailer to permanently introduce sensory-friendly daily shopping hours nationwide by 2023 after testing the concept during the back-to-school season. The retailer now offers a quiet shopping experience from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. local time every day, turning off loud music, dimming lights where possible and showing still images on television screens.
At the time, Walmart said the decision to make the program permanent followed overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers and employees, including participants with autism and ADHD.
“From face-to-face conversations, emails, listening sessions, social media and our personal experiences in stores, we’ve seen what these changes mean to our customers and our associates,” Walmart executives Denise Malloy Deaderick, Cedric Clark and Alvis Washington wrote in announcing the nationwide expansion.
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A Sephora store at the Docks Bruxsel shopping center in Brussels on June 25, 2026. Sephora is extending “quiet hours” to all US stores as retailers continue to invest in sensory-friendly shopping. (Marius Burgelman / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP / Unknown)
Some sellers also try to buy things that affect the senses. Target has experimented with quiet shopping hours in select stores with black lights, limiting loud announcements and reducing music, while Toys “R” Us has offered “Quiet Hour” events at other locations.
| A ticker | Security | Finally | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LVMUY | LVMH MOËT HENNESSY LOUIS VUITTON SE | 110.6 | -2.34 |
-2.07% |
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In addition to regular stores, Chuck E. Cheese has run its monthly “Sensory Sensitive Sundays” program at participating locations since 2016, opening early with dimmed lights, reduced noise and a quiet environment for families.
These systems are designed to reduce sensory stimuli such as loud music, bright lights and other in-store distractions that can make shopping challenging for some customers.
