THE WHAT? Leading US retailers have signed the Mitigate Racial Bias in Retail Charter, committing to take concrete steps to ensure a more welcoming environment for all by reducing racially biased experiences and unfair treatment for shoppers in the retail sector.

THE DETAILS? The charter was initiated by national non-profit Open to All and Sephora. By signing, retailers acknowledge that racially biased and unfair treatment exists broadly in our society and as such, can impact the retail experience. 

According to a press release, “They have all pledged to design and implement actions that mitigate racial bias from the shopper experience, help foster inclusive shopping experiences for all, and work together to share best practices across the retail industry to drive change.”

THE WHY? With 28 retailers involved, the charter is a multi-stakeholder collaboration “aiming to implement tactics and actions to reduce racially biased interactions from the shopper experience and create an environment that is truly welcoming to all.”

The Charter was informed by key findings from Sephora’s Racial Bias in Retail Study.

Jean-André Rougeot, President and CEO, Sephora Americas, said, “At Sephora, diversity, equity, and inclusion have long been core to our mission since our U.S. debut more than 20 years ago – but we recognized that the retail experience has not always been welcoming. 

“When we first commissioned the Racial Bias in Retail Study in 2019, it was our intent that the findings would serve as useful insights for the entire retail sector, including Sephora. Today, we are proud to have this work resonate in such a deeply impactful way via the Charter, and with the commitment of so many retail signatories, we can collectively work to change the retail experience on a much faster and broader scale. We celebrate those that have joined and encourage others to sign on, as it’s not about perfection, it’s about a commitment to progress for shoppers today and tomorrow.”