Welcome back to Ulta Beauty Strategies, Glossy’s series breaking down the latest strategies of the retailer and its most popular brands. To reach Gen Alpha, you must understand Gen Alpha — that’s the backbone of Ulta Beauty’s strategy to acquire teen and tween consumers born between 2010 and 2024.
“We really made it our mission to want to understand who they are and what they’re motivated by,” Kelly Mahoney, chief marketing officer of Ulta Beauty, told Glossy. “Most importantly, [we want] to create an experience of the future that allows them to start off their journey in beauty and wellness in the most healthy way.”
To do so, Ulta Beauty partnered with consumer intelligence company NielsenIQ to conduct a custom survey of more than 500 U.S.-based children and teens ages 8 to 17, plus their parents, in April and May of this year. The goal was to learn about their preferences and motivations, as well as how they feel about and interact with AI tools. Participants were compensated with points toward gift cards or other offerings.
For Anna Mayo, vice president of beauty at NielsenIQ, the most surprising finding was the importance of parents in shaping what Gen Alpha wants to explore, buy and replenish. According to the survey, called Ulta Beauty’s Smart Beauty Study, 55% of respondents say they learn about beauty and personal care from their parents, while 52% learn from peers, and 51% learn from social media.
