With a broader luxurious assortment and an look by Bella Hadid, Ulta Beauty is making its Middle East debut.
On Nov. 7, the sweetness retailer will open its first location as a part of its franchise partnership with retail operator Alshaya Group, which additionally works with names like Harvey Nichols and Charlotte Tilbury within the area.
Located in Kuwait’s The Avenues mega mall, the 15,000-square-foot retailer will provide over 300 magnificence manufacturers, lots of which shall be new to brick-and-mortar shops Middle East. New-to-Kuwait manufacturers embody Morphe, Polite Society, Kiko Milano and Bella Hadid’s fragrance line Ôrəbella. To guarantee a buzzy launch, Bella Hadid shall be current for the Nov. 7 ribbon chopping.
Following its Mexico enlargement earlier this yr, Kuwait marks Ulta Beauty’s second world location. While domestically it carries a mixture of luxurious, status and accessible manufacturers, the Middle East franchises shall be have a extra upmarket assortment. Catering to a extra luxury-focused market, the line-up will embody Tom Ford Beauty, Sisley, Burberry and Augustinus Bader, in addition to native magnificence labels like Asteri Beauty.
“We want to make sure we come into a market with something unique to offer,” stated Jessica Phillips, Ulta Beauty’s vice chairman of rising manufacturers and strategic initiatives. “There’s definitely the mass players, there’s definitely the prestige players. There’s no one like us that does mass to prestige and luxury.”
Given the recognition of fragrance within the Middle East, more room shall be devoted to perfume than in US shops with extra elevated design touches, and as well as to Ulta Beauty’s signature magnificence bars, service areas together with personal facial rooms and a nail bar shall be included.
Ulta Beauty is planning to open round 12 shops within the area by 2026. According to an August survey of magnificence executives in The State of Fashion: Beauty 70 % anticipated “very high” progress within the Middle East, and the MENA area will stay the fastest-growing for magnificence via 2028. Consumers within the area spend seven occasions extra on magnificence per family revenue than within the US, stated Phillips. It plans to be in 80 doorways throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council nations by 2029. Next openings will happen in 2026, with its UAE debut on the Mall of the Emirates in January 2026, Dubai Mall in March 2026 and Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea Mall in March 2026.
It may have stiff competitors. Its competitor, Sephora, has additionally been increasing within the area via a partnership with luxurious retailer Chalhoub Group shops throughout Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) area nations together with Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the place its Dubai location is one among its largest worldwide.
“We invest a lot right as we go into a new market, from a marketing investment, building brand awareness, and you really want to be able to get that return on that investment. Having that scale is important, but we want to do it in the smart way,” stated Phillips.
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