Sephora shuts down 400 stores for diversity training

The company said the “store closure is part of a long journey in our aspiration to create a more inclusive beauty community and workplace..."

Sephora's diversity training comes after singer SZA claimed she was racially profiled in one of the company's makeup stores. Source: Getty Images

Makeup giant Sephora is reportedly shutting down over 400 stores to provide all employees with diversity training.

While the move is part of their 'We Belong To Something Beautiful' campaign, it comes hot on the heels of an alleged racial profiling incident involving singer SZA.

On April 30, SZA took to social media to share an experience she had at a Sephora store in Calabasas, outside of Los Angeles. According to the star, she was profiled by an employee (dubbed 'Sandy Sephora') who called on store security to make sure she wasn't stealing products.

"We had a long talk," SZA tweeted. "U have a blessed day Sandy."

Sephora was quick to apologise for the incident, writing: “We want to let you know we take complaints like this very seriously and are actively working with our teams to address the situation immediately."

However, in a statement to Jezabel, the company said that its store closures and diversity training were not a direct result of SZA's run-in, but were "part of a long journey in our aspiration to create a more inclusive beauty community and workplace, which has included forming employee resource groups, building Social Impact and philanthropic programs, and hosting inclusive mindset training for all supervisors.”