In this episode of Women in Retail Talks, Women in Retail Leadership Circle Co-Founder Melissa Campanelli interviews Monica Arnaudo, chief merchandising officer at Ulta Beauty, the largest U.S. cosmetics, fragrance, skincare and beauty gifts retailer. Listen in as Arnaudo discusses her career journey, the launch of the Conscious Beauty initiative, and what the program means for Ulta and its customers. She describes the five pillars that comprise the Conscious Beauty program, the company’s recent partnerships with clean beauty brand Credo Beauty and reusable packaging pioneer Loop, and the creation of Ulta Beauty’s Conscious Beauty Advisory Council to drive the initiative forward.

In addition, Arnaudo shares why focusing on these areas is important to Ulta, how it propels the retailer’s merchandising strategy going forward, and the research that led to the formation of the Conscious Beauty initiative. She discusses the brand’s in-store and digital marketing efforts supporting the Conscious Beauty initiative and how she sees the program evolving across all pillars in the future.

Monica Arnaudo is the chief merchandising officer at Ulta Beauty. Since joining the retailer in 2017, Monica has built an unparalleled, world-class assortment reflecting how beauty lovers want to shop. Monica and her team are widely recognized for their ability to stay ahead of trends and for continually offering powerhouse brands that position Ulta Beauty as the destination for beauty. With over 30 years of experience in the beauty industry, Monica has brought Ulta Beauty’s one-of-a-kind assortment to life in a way that transcends channels and keeps guests coming back to the company’s more than 1,200 stores. Monica has served in numerous sales and merchandising leadership roles at Nordstrom and Sephora, along with beauty companies including Bare Escentuals, L’Oreal, Estee Lauder Companies and Chanel. Monica is from Northern California and a business graduate of Saint Mary’s College of California. She has two adult children, who currently live on the west coast.

Date: July 21, 2020

Credits: Monica Arnaudo

Duration: 20:55