Ulta Beauty plans to double Black-owned brand presence in stores

Ulta Beauty plans to amplify the presence of Black-owned brands in its stores this year.

The mass beauty retailer announced on Tuesday that two times as many Black-owned beauty brands will be available on shelves as a part of its 2021 diversity and inclusion commitments.

New brands being added to the company's prestigious roster include Blackgirl Sunscreen, Keys Soulcare and Mented Cosmetics.

Briogeo, a Black-owned hair care brand, will also be featured in the store's Salon back bar as well.

In addition to the brand doubling the amount of Black-owned brands represented in its stores, Ulta Beauty also announced actress Tracee Ellis Ross, CEO and founder of Black-beauty brand Pattern, as the company's diversity and inclusion adviser.

In her new role, Ross will provide counsel, insight and drive accountability with a deep focus on BIPOC brand development, diverse leadership development and supplier diversity.

"I look forward to formalizing an already existing dialogue and partnership around diversity and inclusion with Mary Dillon and the Ulta Beauty team," Ross said in a statement. "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."

As a part of Ulta Beauty's pledge to hold more space for Black-owned brands, the retailer dedicated more than $4 million toward marketing support for its featured brands.

"Authenticity as an inclusive brand with welcoming experiences for all and an approachable assortment are tenets of how we champion diversity at Ulta Beauty," Mary Dillon, CEO of Ulta Beauty, said in a statement. "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."

Other important commitments the brand plans to incorporate include introducing routine in-store training for all store and salon associates in March 2021 to reinforce inclusivity and address unconscious bias as well as launching inclusive recruiting efforts with a diverse slate mandate.

"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 Dillon. "We are deeply committed to leading purposefully with and for underrepresented voices across retail and beauty on our D&I journey."