Ulta Beauty UAE launch: CEO reveals 80+ exclusive brands, ‘beautytainment' plans for GCC stores

Dubai: Ulta Beauty will introduce more than 80 new brands to the Middle East market when it opens its first stores in Kuwait and Dubai, featuring exclusive launches, immersive in-store experiences, and a focus on local brand partnerships, CEO Keisha Stillman has revealed.

The American beauty retailer’s CEO shared details of what customers can expect when the first location opens at The Avenues in Kuwait, followed rapidly by stores at Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall.

After 35 years of building a beauty empire in the United States, Ulta Beauty, which operates over 1,500 stores across America with plans to reach 1,800, partnered with regional giant Al Shaya Group to enter the market.

Stillman said, “But the time is right as social media has just created this globalisation of communication and bringing brands to life outside of one country to another."

The CEO's visit to the region a year ago convinced her the market was ready: "Just to see how educated and knowledgeable the beauty consumer was here, and they were asking for us to come, the timing was perfect."

The partnership, with Al Shaya, has also enabled Ulta Beauty to secure prime locations. "No other competitor has been able to do that. And that's the power of our partnership with Al Shaya," Stillman said.

Whilst specific numbers weren’t disclosed, she confirmed "very aggressive expansion plans" beyond the initial three stores, aiming to establish "a leading presence in the market in a very short time."

Among the 80-plus new brands coming to the region is Polite Society, the second venture from the founders of cult-favourite Too Faced, which will be exclusive to Ulta Beauty in the Middle East.

"The brand founders have taken their learnings of Too Faced and, I'd say, in some ways, made it even better," Stillman tolf Gulf News. "It's a brand I think that the Middle Eastern consumer is going to absolutely love."

But the retailer isn't just importing American brands. Ulta Beauty plans to dedicate sections of its stores to Middle Eastern brand founders, creating a two-way pipeline between markets.

"We can not only bring the brand to life here in the Middle East and have a nice section in the store that’s made for, by the Middle Eastern consumer, but we can also look for opportunities to bring those brands back into the United States," Stillman said. "That’s something that I think we can do at Ulta Beauty that no one else can do."

Shoppers can expect a dramatically different experience from traditional beauty retail. Ulta Beauty stores will feature what the company calls "beautytainment"—dedicated activation areas, typically in the centre of stores, where brands host events, demonstrations, and immersive experiences.

"Anyone can sell products in a location, but it's how you bring those products to life through the knowledge base of your associates," Stillman explained. "Having that activation energy in the store just creates an excitement and a place that people want to be a part of, versus just some place that you just go buy products."

The stores will also offer extensive services, including nail treatments, makeup applications, and private treatment rooms—all adapted for the local market.

The initial three locations—The Avenues in Kuwait, Mall of the Emirates, and Dubai Mall—will be larger format stores designed to accommodate the experiential elements.

"We're wanting to make sure that we're bringing the very best experiences to life," Stillman said. "It's part of our DNA and what makes us very special, even in the United States."

The retailer's education focus extends to its staff, with comprehensive training programmes planned for store associates to ensure they can provide expert guidance across the full spectrum of beauty products, from mass-market to prestige.

Before opening a single store, Ulta Beauty has already begun building relationships with Middle Eastern beauty influencers and content creators—recognising the region’s digitally savvy consumers. Beauty influencers play a huge role in the region’s influencer markets, with many eventually launching their own beauty brands. Case in point: Huda Beauty.  

The CEO expressed admiration for the region's beauty influencers: "I just find it fascinating just how educated the influencers are, how they can really bring their brand to life in a true, authentic way. And that's what the consumer is really looking for."

She confirmed that social media will be central to the Middle East strategy: "Social media is just so intrinsically a part of the beauty experience, and it's so critical that we're there, and we're there in a very relevant way."

Looking beyond the initial launches, Stillman envisions Ulta Beauty becoming a destination for families across generations.

"I can see the grandmothers with the mothers with the daughters shopping, really unique in the United States. And I really think that we’ll be able to bring that to life here, also in the Middle East," she said. "Beauty is a fun category to shop, and I do think that's the other thing that’s going to be really special—we want this not just to be the place that you go to buy products, but you just go to immerse yourself and have fun."

The CEO predicted that within the region, "we'll be the strongest beauty retailer. I don't think, I know. We will be the place where beauty lovers want to go."