403. Building a people-first culture in modern retail with Ulta Beauty

·28 min·2 clips

Ulta Beauty's CEO explains why AI won't replace human touch in beauty retail, revealing a surprising 80% of business still comes from stores.

The episode features an interview with Keisha Steelman, President and CEO of Ulta Beauty, recorded at NRF 2026 in New York City. Host Bill Thorne from the National Retail Federation opens by noting the conference's focus on AI and technology. Steelman begins by sharing her career journey, starting as an $8/hour cashier at Target, then working at Home Depot and dollar stores before joining Ulta Beauty 11.5 years ago. She discusses Ulta's growth from 500 to 1,500 stores and her pride in the company's female-driven workforce, with 91% female employees and 6,000 management opportunities created for women. The conversation shifts to the beauty industry's unique position in selling emotion and self-expression, with Ulta bridging mass and luxury across generations. Steelman explains Ulta's use of augmented reality tools like Glam Lab and skin analysis while maintaining high human touch, with 80% of business still coming from stores. She addresses AI concerns, viewing it as enhancing rather than replacing human interaction, and reveals Ulta ranked #1 in beauty for eugenic search on Black Friday. Steelman discusses Ulta's 2026 focus on generative AI and content creation through partnerships with Google Gemini, Open AI, and others. She emphasizes culture and leadership, describing her 'Ulta Beauty Unleashed' strategy and the importance of surrounding herself with a strong team. The episode covers Ulta's international expansion into Kuwait and Mexico, featuring local brands alongside U.S. products, and their 46-million-member loyalty program used for product testing. Steelman shares that retail needs to be easier to shop while staying focused amid noise, positioning Ulta as a safe space for joy. In rapid-fire questions, she mentions reading 'CEO for All Seasons,' recommends Clinique face wipes and Ulta lip oil, and shares her airport outfit travel tip. The episode concludes with reflections on retail's community-building role and self-expression through beauty.

As heard by us

A retail leader frames AI as a way to strengthen store shopping through more purposeful human interaction.

Retail Gets Real's conversation with Ulta Beauty president and CEO Keisha Steelman works best when it treats AI as a practical support for retail's human side.

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Why you'd press play

Curious why younger shoppers still gather in stores when AI can virtually test makeup, hairstyles, and skin tools?

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