What: The beauty retailer’s chief merchandising officer shares her thoughts on how the beauty industry will increasingly prioritize mixing products and services that emphasize wellness into daily routines.

Why it is important: The beauty category continues to outpace the global economic outlook and there is no greater growth vehicle within the category than wellness.

Beauty and wellness have become synonymous as consumers increasingly focus on feeling good and taking better care of themselves, a trend that developed during the pandemic.

The trend started in skin care, evolved to hair, and is now more focused on makeup as customers are going out and attending more events post-pandemic.

Ulta launched a wellness shop in 2021 with the aim of creating something that crossed categories and made it easier for customers to shop.

The retailer began with a more everyday basic care range before adding five pillars to its offering, including relax and renew, which became more popular during the pandemic and intimate wellness which launched at the end of Q3 in 2022.

Arnaudo states that having a global perspective and taking a holistic view is important as 41% of people globally believe that wellness is a communal and societal issue than an individual goal.

Ulta has seen the luxury segment continue to grow, attributed to the influx of social media as more than 80% of Gen Z and Millennials will purchase a luxury beauty product if they see it on TikTok.

Wellness will continue to be a growth driver for the retailer which they attribute to the more than 150 wellness brands in their assortment.

Ulta Beauty’s merchandising chief looks inside a big bet on wellness