Ulta rebrands, upgrades rewards program

Ulta Beauty has updated its customer loyalty program with a new look and name — and enhanced benefits. 

The beauty giant has changed the name of the program, which launched in 2014 and now has 42.2 million members, from Ultamate Rewards to Ulta Beauty Rewards. It also has added new features, including an upgraded birthday offering that allows members to select a gift across a portfolio of brands spanning all categories. (Previously, the gift was pre-selected.) January birthday gift options include products from Olaplex, Sunday Riley, First Aid Beauty, Peach & Lily, Kopari and Smashbox.

Ulta has also launched new initiatives to promote the updated Ulta Beauty Rewards program, by bolstering  awareness in-stores, online, on social media and across owned channels with educational tips to help members accelerate ways to earn and redeem points. 

The rewards program currently gives users points on every purchase, additional benefits for members who reach platinum and diamond status, accelerated earnings with the Ulta Beauty Rewards credit card, and the ability to redeem points on all beauty products and salon services. 

The nation’s largest beauty retailer, Ulta operates 1,374 stores across the U.S. In its latest quarterly earnings, Ulta’s comparable sales rose 4.5% with a nearly 6% increase in transactions.

“For years, we’ve been building our best-in-class program to reflect the ever-evolving needs of beauty enthusiasts and we strive everyday to win the hearts and minds of the beauty community by rewarding them with more of what they love,” said Kelly Mahoney, senior VP of customer and growth marketing at Ulta Beauty. “The enhancements we’ve made to Ulta Beauty Rewards go beyond a new name; they reflect the wants of our most loyal guests and importantly showcase just how much we appreciate them. We can’t wait for new and existing members to discover why millions of people nationwide love Ulta Beauty Rewards.”