Introduction

Company Overview

Ulta Beauty, founded in 1990 by Terry Hanson and Dick George, stands as the largest beauty retailer in the United States, featuring an extensive selection of cosmetics, skincare, haircare, fragrances, and salon services. With more than 1,300 locations across the country and a strong online platform, Ulta offers a distinctive shopping experience that seamlessly combines high-end and budget-friendly brands with expert in-store services. Ulta Beauty is very conscious about the impact they have on the earth. They promote cruelty-free, vegan, clean ingredients, giving back and sustainable products which they call “conscious beauty.” Ulta Beauty also gives its customers the convenience to shop from anywhere from in store to their website and even through their mobile app. They provide their customers with options like “buy online and pick up in store.” Ulta Beauty also has a reward system for their customers, where they put in their number or email every time they shop and earn points for every purchase.  

Purpose

This project investigates how Ulta Beauty operates its information systems through its Point of Sale (POS) system and social media marketing activities. The research examines how Ulta’s POS system enables faster checkout procedures while tracking inventory in real-time and improves customer participation through its Ultamate Rewards Loyalty Program integration. This analysis investigates how Ulta employs social media platforms to enhance its sales through targeted marketing campaigns while launching new products and creating personalized interactions with customers using content and influencer collaborations. The analysis shows how Ulta's digital strategies help improve customer satisfaction along with brand loyalty and business profitability.

Thesis

This project will show how leading beauty retailer, Ulta Beauty, has used its Management Information Systems (MIS) strategies to become such a successful store in the United States. As we conduct our in-depth analysis of Ulta Beauty’s business structure, current goals, inventory management, and more, our team will recommend specific courses of action to further strengthen their competitiveness.

Gantt Chart