LVMH owns Sephora, which the luxury group acquired in 1997.
Sephora was founded in France in 1969 and developed a distinctive open-sell beauty-store format. Customers could browse products and test many cosmetics and fragrances rather than relying entirely on traditional counter service. The chain later expanded internationally through stores, digital commerce, and partnerships.
LVMH, whose name comes from Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, is one of the world’s largest luxury-goods groups. Its portfolio includes fashion, leather goods, wines and spirits, watches and jewelry, perfumes and cosmetics, and selective retailing. Sephora belongs to that selective-retailing side.
Sephora is sometimes incorrectly attributed to L’Oréal because both companies operate extensively in beauty. L’Oréal is a major cosmetics manufacturer, while LVMH is Sephora’s parent company. The 1997 acquisition helped connect Sephora’s innovative store format with LVMH’s international resources.