Ulta Beauty, located on 243 W. Alexander St. will have its grand opening at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 6. The soft opening began Sept. 29 after a two week delay from Hurricane Irma.
Ashley Cole, the general manager, said the staff was not allowed to even enter the store for the entire week following Irma, for safety reasons. A truck carrying merchandise to stock the shelves was stuck at the port and didn’t arrive until last week. Finally, two weeks later, Ulta Beauty was able to open its doors and Cole said she is simply thankful all of the employees were safe.
“We didn’t know what to expect because we had the soft opening pending for two weeks,” Cole said. “But it was really cool. We started to have a trickle of people come in and then we got really busy. It felt like Black Friday. We were slammed. We had a lot of guests but it was exciting.”
To celebrate the grand opening of the store, the first 100 guests each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will receive a “beauty treat” valued between $5 and $100 and can choose 10% off their first salon appointment at The Salon at Ulta Beauty or first facial appointment at the Dermalogica Skin Bar. There will also be “hot buys” throughout the store for opening weekend.
“It’s all things beauty all in one place,” Cole said.
Ulta will have 20,000 beauty products and over 500 brands, as well as a full-service salon and M.A.C. artist for makeup services. Nationwide, there are 974 Ulta retail stores across the 48 states and the District of Columbia. On top of the Redken based salon and Dermalogica Skin Bar there is also a brow bar that offers waxing and tinting for clients.
Cole said Ulta is a one stop destination because it has high-end brands like Estee Lauder and Clinique as well as mass market items and hair product. Brushes, hair tools and fragrances are also available in store.
Cole has hired nearly 70 local employees to create a task team for the new store and said all the team member rose above her expectations after Irma and blew her away with their talent.
With the holidays right around the corner, Cole said she anticipates Ulta becoming the “destination” for a lot of Christmas shopping. She said Urban Decay’s Naked palettes, the full Mac boutique, a service Cole said Plant City is the first store in the district to offer, and the multiple gift packages, are always some of the most sought after pieces.
The store is also in the middle of its drive for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, a tradition it has done every year since 2009. Half of the proceeds of multiple beauty items throughout the store go to BCRF. Donations are being taken all month long for the foundation and on Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. the salon will offer Cut for a Cause. Haircuts and styles are offered for $20 and a Facefit Facial will be on sale for $10 with 100% of the proceeds going to BCRF.
“Everybody in the community has just been really cool,” Cole said. “I’m just really happy to be a part of the community and I think it will be a good fit for Ulta to be here in Plant City. I think this will be a beauty destination.”