Ulta Beauty Will Double Black-Owned Brands In 2021
Ulta Beauty just announced its inclusion and diversity commitment for this year.
In a statement to Business Wire, the premier beauty retailer announced an investment plan of more than $25 million dollars to focus on “brand amplification and support, assortment growth and equitable, welcoming guest and associate experiences.”
The company also announced that actress Tracee Ellis Ross –Founder of the existing Ulta brand, PATTERN Beauty-will become its Diversity and Inclusion Advisor.
“As the country’s beauty retail leader, we believe we have the power to shape how the world sees beauty and as such, we have a responsibility to inspire positive change and drive greater diversity, inclusivity and equity,” said Mary Dillon, CEO, Ulta Beauty “We are deeply committed to leading purposefully with and for underrepresented voices across retail and beauty on our D&I journey.”
Ulta Beauty has kept diversity and inclusion within its business strategy, as it’s reflected in its mission statement: … We use the power of beauty to bring to life the possibilities that lie within each of us.
“I look forward to formalizing an already existing dialogue and partnership around diversity and inclusion with Mary Dillon and the Ulta Beauty team,” said Tracee Ellis Ross. “This work requires commitment and accountability from Ulta Beauty to ensure measurable goals are achieved. I am hopeful and optimistic our work together will create foundational change.”
Ulta Beauty’s 2021 inclusivity initiatives are stated below.
Commitment to Black-Owned Brands
“As Ulta Beauty’s unparalleled assortment continues to evolve, the company will work directly with Black founders and entrepreneurs with the goal to grow brands so these beauty leaders can thrive as they continue to serve the Black community.
- To increase the presence of Black entrepreneurs, Ulta Beauty will double the number of Black-owned brands in its assortment by the end of 2021.
- More than $4 million will be dedicated to marketing support of Black-owned brands within the company’s assortment to fuel brand awareness and sustain growth.”
Commitment to Associate Experiences
“Ulta Beauty understands the importance of fostering an inclusive, bias-free and equitable workplace to enable all associates to reach their full potential. The company will continue to prioritize leading as a diversity-forward employer, further strengthening its diverse workforce with investments to advance associate competencies and foster even greater collaboration.
- More than doubled D&I trainings across the enterprise for 2021 for the second year in a row.
- Launched inclusive recruiting efforts with a diverse slate mandate.
- Established a Diverse Leaders Program to empower more than 30, high-potential associates as future company leaders with CEO and executive mentorship.
- Annual performance reviews include evaluation against the core value of Champion Diversity and the key competency of Inclusion.”
Commitment to Guest Experiences
“Everything is in service of guest experiences and as such, Ulta Beauty remains fervently committed to creating exciting, welcoming and equal experiences for every guest who visits the retailer.
- Introducing quarterly, in-store training for all store and salon associates in March 2021 to reinforce inclusivity and address unconscious bias. These mandatory trainings account for a $2 million investment and are additional to Ulta Beauty’s existing store and salon trainings.
- Building upon Race Matters Leadership Training, which debuted in 2020, the company will implement a mandatory 2.0 version across field, distribution center and corporate associates in 2021.”