Sayma's Blog

Sephora is a popular beauty store that has made shopping for beauty products so easy and enjoyable. They have physical stores where you can see, touch, and try different products, and beauty experts help you choose what’s best for you. This makes it fun to shop and learn about new products. But what I find especially interesting is how Sephora also has a strong online presence. You can shop for beauty products on their website or app, and they offer detailed product descriptions, reviews, and even makeup tutorials to guide you. They also make it easy to buy online and pick up in store if you don’t want to wait for delivery. Sephora uses social media like Instagram and YouTube to share beauty tips, product reviews, and promotions. It’s amazing how they connect with customers through influencers and real people, making the whole shopping experience feel more personal.

This week’s assignment focused on the importance of pricing when starting a business, and it highlighted how the right price can help set a product apart. Natural soap making is a great first business idea, as soap is an essential item for everyone, and using natural ingredients can differentiate the product from traditional soaps found on store shelves. With more people becoming conscious of what they put on their skin, natural soaps offer a simpler, healthier alternative to the long list of chemicals in conventional products.  One of the biggest benefits of natural soaps is the transparency of ingredients—clear, recognizable items like olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and essential oils—that build customer trust and loyalty, unlike traditional soaps with confusing, hard-to-pronounce chemicals.  Pricing handmade natural soaps should reflect their value as a luxury skincare product, not just a cleaning item. Strategies like value-based pricing can allow for higher prices w...

This week, I had an interesting experience with service marketing when I went for a test drive at a local Toyota dealership. Service marketing focuses on the customer experience, and I got to see firsthand how businesses use different strategies to keep potential buyers engaged. Before going, I had heard stories about car salespeople being too pushy or trying to upsell unnecessary features. However, my experience was quite different. The salesperson I interacted with was friendly and informative. He took the time to explain all the features of the car I was interested in and didn’t pressure me into making a quick decision. This approach made me feel more comfortable and more likely to trust the dealership. One challenge I faced was that the dealership didn’t have the trim level I wanted in stock. Toyota has been experiencing low inventory, especially for minivans, which made it harder to find the exact model I was looking for. However, instead of just ending the conversation there, the...