Ulta aims for new shoppers and more spend with new marketplace

Marketplaces have become the go-to way for retailers to quickly expand their assortment in a low-risk way. And Ulta wants in. The cosmetics retail chain recently launched UB Marketplace not to expand the assortment of its core offering, but to test products in adjacent categories, such as grooming, wellness, pro tools and global beauty, said James Lang, Vice President of Marketplace at Ulta.
“We like to think of this as the second floor to our digital store,” Lang said. “These brands, these categories that we’re launching are really things that you would expect to see, and if we had more floor space, you would naturally see these brands in our stores.”