Beauty retailer Sephora is upping its ecommerce fulfillment game, offering customers unlimited free two-day shipping for $10 per year, similar to Amazon Prime and its $99 annual membership. Well, almost free – after the $10 fee.
According to the company, Sephora Flash has no minimum purchase figure, and the program applies to every order for an entire year. There is also overnight shipping available for $5.95. Members of Sephora’s VIB Rouge club, who spend a minimum of $1,000 per year, can enroll in Flash for free.
Currently, Sephora requires a minimum order of $50 to qualify for free shipping, so customers have a choice to make in terms of the Flash program. As Sephora is a seller of high-line beauty products, the order value threshold isn’t too difficult to hit. Competitor Ulta Beauty has the same $50 order requirement for free shipping.
Sephora Flash orders must be placed by 3 p.m. ET in order to ship the same day, or by 12 p.m. ET for one-day shipping orders. The program only applies to accounts in the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico.
This is just the latest in a series of competitive moves by retailers against Amazon’s continual efforts to drive consumer traffic its way. Last month, Target cut its free shipping order threshold in half, from $50 to $25, below Amazon’s $35 minimum for non-Prime members.