Dive Brief:

• Adding another clean beauty brand to its roster, Ulta Beauty on Monday announced it’s bringing DTC beauty brand Odele to more than 1,300 of its stores and online within the Ulta Beauty Conscious Beauty product assortment.
• The brand will offer its clarifying shampoo, leave-in conditioner, texturizing sea salt spray and other hair care products to Ulta customers for less than $13. The products are formulated without sulfates, formaldehyde, phthalates, parabens, synthetic fragrances or other ingredients banned under European Union regulations, according to a press release emailed to Retail Dive.
• The partnership with Ulta is part of the brand’s efforts to expand offline and reach in-store shoppers.

Dive Insight:

Ulta has been cultivating relationships with DTC brands for the past few years to diversify its product assortment. In 2019, the beauty retailer launched Spark Beauty, a platform highlighting DTC hair care, skincare and cosmetic brands seeking to enter physical stores. That same year, the retailer also began selling Madison Reed’s hair color kits, color-protecting shampoo and hair color products in more than 1,200 locations. Last May, the brand announced plans to bring Sunday II Sunday’s shampoo and conditioners into 300 stores and on its website.

Ulta has showcased its new brands in stores through its Cue the New sections. The retailer highlights new brands in this section for a certain time frame before being transitioned to other parts of the stores alongside other brands. 

The beauty retailer has also been showcasing, personal care and cosmetic brands under its Conscious Beauty banner, which launched in the summer of 2020. The initiative features products that are cruelty free, vegan, have clean ingredients, are packaged sustainably and have an overall positive impact.

This year could also be the year that many DTC brands explore brick-and-mortar expansion, either with their own stores or through wholesale partnerships. For Odele, the entry into Ulta will hopefully make it easier for shoppers to discover their products and share them with others, Odele co-founder Britta Chatterjee said in a statement. 

“With conscious beauty at its core, Odele’s expansion into Ulta Beauty makes it even easier for guests to access clean, cruelty-free, vegan, sustainably packaged products that not only make a positive impact on hair, but the planet too, all at an approachable price,” Jessica Phillips, vice president of merchandising at Ulta Beauty, said in a statement. 

Ulta isn’t the only beauty retailer integrating new beauty brands into its stores. Last July, Sephora announced plans to offer Glossier products in stores and online, a move it made after product searches surged.