Retail is the art of delighting customers, says Sephora’s Jenny Cheah

Jenny Cheah reckons that she would have become a banker, had not it been for a DFS recruitment talk.
Not wanting to eat alone in the university canteen, she had tagged along with her girlfriends to the talk and was blown away by the charisma of one of DFS’ C-suites, Saw Phaik Hwa.
“She came across as someone who was very dynamic and powerful. At that time, there weren’t many successful role models who were female, so she was such a breath of fresh air,” said Cheah, who was then a business administration undergraduate at the National University of Singapore. She promptly signed up for DFS’ management trainee programme along with her friends.
She was the last to be called up for an interview. Then she lost her voice due to a weekend of hawking an industrial aerosol for clogged pipes at a trade convention. Her interview lasted only 15 minutes compared to everyone else’s 60-minute slots and she thought she had blown it. But she got the job.
Cheah recalled with a chuckle: “Years later, my boss in DFS told me that it was probably a good thing that I couldn’t talk much during the interview. I have a very strong point of view towards how things should be done.”
Since then, Cheah has racked up more than 30 years of experience within the LVMH group. In her 25 years at DFS, she oversaw different leadership aspects of the business from merchandising and retail operations to business development and management.  She then moved to Bvlgari where she built the brand and led the growth and expansion of its South Asia market as its regional managing director and then president of Greater China. She was appointed to her current role as Sephora’s managing director of Southeast Asia, Oceania and India in April 2023.
FULL CIRCLE
Despite initially eyeing a finance career, Cheah, who had even worked as a part-time fragrance promoter at one point, had always loved the finer, aesthetic things in life. She said: “My first love was fashion and luxury and being the global merchandising director in DFS gave me a rounded exposure to retail.”
One of the hardest moments though was her Bvlgari posting in Shanghai from 2020 to late 2023. Strict COVID lockdown restrictions prevented her from flying back to be with her family.
She eventually decided to return home. Encouraged by LVMH Group’s leaders and motivated to have a new challenge in her career, she applied for a Singapore-based position in Sephora when it came up.
She said: “I’ve done travel retail, luxury fashion, watches and jewellery, I thought, why not round it up with beauty? I love Sephora’s fun and lively culture. The biggest joy since joining is testing products and discovering many cult brands out there.”
In an age where information abounds, Cheah sees Sephora as the curator that customers can confidently turn to for knowledge on “the latest and greatest” beauty products.
She explained: “Customers have evolved, so have their expectations. They are now much more aware of wellness, their body and what they want out of their skincare routine or the makeup they purchase. They have very strong points of view and look to Sephora to curate the best and latest trends.”
Customers also like trying out different brands without being followed around in the store. She said: “They want the freedom to explore and have fun with the products. You can spend a few hours here playing with the testers, yet our beauty experts are nearby to help you make that decision. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Among the new implementations in Singapore is a “Hot on Social” space at the entrance of Sephora’s recently renovated flagship store in Ion Orchard. The eye-catching digital screens and physical displays direct the customers’ attention to the latest trending beauty products on social media.
With over 160 brands and more than 12,000 products including 18 new brands such as Armani Prive, Kylie Cosmetics and Shark Beauty, Sephora Ion Orchard carries the brand’s largest products range within Asia. There are services such as a 30-minute Estee Lauder Dream Skin Reawakened treatment and a 15-minute consultation with a Kiehl’s Skin Professional to address issues such as skin dullness and dryness. In the fourth quarter of the year, customers can look forward to an AI-powered foundation matching tool to help them find their perfect shade among the myriad brands.
FOCUSING ON THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY
Cheah is unfazed that she has moved from bespoke, high-end accessories to a completely different world dominated by influencers, street cred and a boggling array of options.
She said: “Coming from a very high-end luxury brand has helped me to bring a heightened focus on how to engage customers and build loyalty. It doesn’t matter whether you are in beauty, luxury jewellery or fashion, it is all about the business of delighting your customers. If the consumer journey and experience are your mantra and goal post, the challenges can be overcome.”
The Sephora team regularly scours their social platforms for feedback from customers and conducts focus groups to determine which brands to bring in. Cheah trusts her merchandising team fully and respects their decisions. She said: “I’ve been a merchandiser before, and it is the most thankless role ever. So, I always give them space to play with the products and to experiment. If we don’t try, we’d never know if something would work.” It helps, too, that Cheah’s daughters, who are now in their mid-20s, are her biggest sounding boards and intel on the ground.
One and a half years into the job, excitement is still cruising through the driven Cheah, who does yoga every morning for a sense of calm before she heads to work and even  managed to be certified as a yoga instructor last year.
She said: “Being exposed to many wonderful beauty brands and their leaders and founders is not something that everyone gets to do. There is always something to learn in Sephora and I love the challenge of putting it all together to create a place that excites our customers.”