Ulta Beauty doubles down on diversity, inclusion commitments
Ulta Beauty is highlighting its diversity and inclusion commitments,
The beauty retailer announced that it will focus on brand amplification, support, assortment growth and equitable, as well as welcoming guests and associate experiences.
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“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,” Mary Dillon, CEO of Ulta Beauty said. “We are deeply committed to leading purposefully with and for underrepresented voices across retail and beauty on our D&I journey.”
In addition to ensuring that its commitments are made, the company also announced that Tracee Ellis Ross, CEO and founder of Pattern Beauty, will serve as its diversity and inclusion and advisor.
In this role, Ross will provide counsel and insight to aid in driving accountability to the retailer with a specific focus on BIPOC brand development, diverse leadership development and supplier diversity, the company said.
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“I look forward to formalizing an already existing dialogue and partnership around diversity and inclusion with Mary Dillon and the Ulta Beauty team,” Tracee Ellis Ross said. “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.”
When it comes to amplifying and investing in underrepresented voices, Ulta Beauty will allocate approximately $20 million in media investments across endemic and multi-cultural platforms to create personal connections with Latinx, Black and other communities.
The first step in that process was debuting MUSE, which stands for magnify, uplift, support and empower. This platform aims to celebrate, honor and amplify Black voices in beauty, the company said.
As a commitment to Black-owned brands, in 2021, Ulta Beauty will work directly with Black founders and entrepreneurs to aid in growing their brands and increase the presence of Black-owned brands in its assortment by the end of the year.
To create a welcoming and equal experience for guests who visit its stores, Ulta Beauty will work to introduce quarterly in-store training for its store and salon associates to reinforce inclusivity and address unconscious bias.
Lastly, Ulta Beauty will work to continue to work to be a diversity-forward employer by strengthening its workforce with investments to advance associate competencies, the company said.
“Authenticity as an inclusive brand with welcoming experiences for all and an approachable assortment are tenets of how we champion diversity at Ulta Beauty,” Dillon said. “We have mapped these commitments to impact every facet of our work. We look forward to sharing more as we continue on this journey with steadfast commitment from our teams and our newly established advisor Tracee Ellis Ross, who brings passion, experience and perspective to this important work.”