Ulta Beauty

Ulta Beauty appoints Brieane Olson to its board effective August 31, 2026. Olson brings more than 20 years of retail experience, is currently CEO of Pacific Sunwear (PacSun) and previously held leadership roles at PacSun as well as positions at Abercrombie & Fitch and Valentino. She will take the seat of Kelly G. Garcia, who has become Ulta Beauty’s chief technology officer, bringing the board to ten members. Olson holds degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and the Istituto Marangoni, and completed an Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. » Plus sur de.investing.com

AI-driven product discovery (Gemini, ChatGPT) is sending higher-intent shoppers to Ulta, with referred visitors showing roughly twice the conversion and higher revenue per visit. Ulta's large Rewards membership and integrations (Ulta AI, planned Google/Gemini shopping links) give it a strong chance to convert AI referrals into identified, repeat customers. The main risk is platforms shifting toward controlling recommendations or embedded transactions, which could capture purchase signals or charge fees and weaken merchants' economics if Ulta cannot link AI-driven sales to its cart and loyalty systems. » Plus sur finance.yahoo.com

plusOne, from Beacon Wellness Brands, is rolling out its accessible sexual wellness range including vibrators in Ulta Beauty stores, merchandised within Wellness by Ulta Beauty. The distribution marks a retail milestone as plusOne expands presence alongside retailers like Walmart, Target, CVS and Walgreens to normalize intimate wellness. The category is rapidly growing—valued at $108 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $274 billion by 2035—supporting Ulta's strategy to broaden holistic wellness offerings. » Plus sur forbes.com