Comparable store sales—sales in its brick and mortars open at least 14 months—jumped up 10.8%. The public company also saw its number of customers increase 8% and its average ticket rise 2.8%.

I admire that ULTA offers consumers more than 21,000 salon, prestige, masstige and mass beauty products, including salon hair care, salon styling tools, cosmetics, skin care and fragrances in a retail-oriented environment with a full-service salon. Currently, the company sells products through 356 stores (with more than 3.7 million square feet of space) across 38 U.S. states as well as on its website.

In its second quarter, ULTA opened stores in Avon, Connecticut, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Cincinnati, Hammond, Louisiana, Horsham, Pennsylvania, Modesto, California, Quakertown, Pennsylvania, St. Cloud, Minnesota, Stockton, California, and Union Gap, Washington. It also relocated one store in Folsom, California, and remodeled three others. (It closed one store as well.)

In its fiscal 2010 third quarter, ULTA expects to see 28 new stores with a 7% to 9% comparable store sales increase. It also plans to launch tarte prestige cosmetics and continue its introduction of Philosophy skin care.

See you soon,
Marc

Subscribers’ deals will become more relevant over time as they share information and form buying patterns, and as Groupon’s deal offerings expand. Subscribers won’t see any changes to their Groupon interfaces, and they’ll continue to receive an email deal-per-day that’s available for a minimum of 24 hours.

“The No.1 request from our customers is for more relevant deals,” says Andrew Mason, Groupon’s founder and CEO. “After six months of product development, we’re excited to deliver. This is the biggest thing we’ve ever done.”

The new program allows Groupon to run more deals for businesses that are located outside of city centers, that cater to niche audiences or that aren’t seeking the heavy volume traditional Groupons deliver. Sending different deals to different users also helps address the overwhelming demand from merchants to be featured on Groupon. “Interest in Groupon is so high we can only feature one out of eight businesses that contact us,” Mason notes. “Personalized deals opens Groupon up to more merchants who until now have been forced to look elsewhere to find new customers.”

The program is currently live in Chicago, San Francisco, San Jose, California, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle, and is slated to launch across more than 80 North American markets within the next few months.

See you soon,

Shelley

According to the recently updated “Makeup In-Depth Consumer Report” from market-research company The NPD Group, almost nine in 10 makeup users have used a makeup product containing a skincare benefit in the last year. The most popular added benefits are formulas containing moisturizing ingredients and SPF protection, followed by ones that are oil free and won’t clog pores, reduce wrinkles and fine lines, and are natural and mineral based.

“As consumers seek to simplify their beauty routines, the opportunity is ripe for products that provide the benefits of both the makeup and skincare categories,” said Karen Grant, vice president and global-industry analyst at The NPD Group. “Over the past few years a greater number of makeup products are incorporating skincare benefits that consumers would previously seek to get from a skincare product.”

So take advantage of the expanding allotment of beauty innovations by stocking up on not just multi- but mega-multipurpose makeup too. Offer customers blush that can also be used as a lip stain, containing moisture and SPF properties. Your customers will recognize the value of such products.

See you soon,
Manyesha

Bean-B-Clean Scalp Massaging Brush from Springfield, Virginia-based Smaldore Associates (info@smaldoreassociates.com, 888.362.5338) is a soft, safe, soothing way to successfully deal with the flakes and crustiness associated with an infant’s cradle cap. Volume discounts are available.

Swisspers Exfoliating Cotton Facial Cleansing Pads from Gastonia, North Carolina-based U.S. Cotton (sales@uscotton.com, 800.321.1029) can be used to apply toners and lotions and to remove foundations, eye makeup and lipstick. More details about them are in the company’s online product catalog.

Zeno Hot Spot Blemish Clearing Device from Houston-based Zeno Corp. (customerservice@zenocorp.com, 888.469.9366) is a hand-held, FDA-approved, at-home skincare tool. It uses heat to destroy bacteria that causes pimples, and it’s already available at ULTA and Beauty.com as well as other places.

These three items were shown to mass-market retailer buyers at the 2010 Marketplace Conference of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores this past June in San Diego, where they were exhibited in a special product showcase on the show floor. They were chosen as winners by attendees.

The specific product categories they won in are Bean-B-Clean Scalp Massaging Brush, baby care, Swisspers Exfoliating Cotton Facial Cleansing Pads, cosmetics & fragrances, and Zeno Hot Spot Blemish Clearing Device, personal care/HBC.

See you soon,
Marc

The book features Pearson’s success stories and advice, including such gems as never promising something you can’t provide and always offering knowledgeable, helpful and friendly customer service.

It also explains how to boost profits by increasing one’s customer base. Pearson believes a larger consumer base is created and maintained by implementing better customer service. “I’ve worked with the public for 30 years,” she says. “Somehow, we, as the face of many businesses, have forgotten how to talk to each other. Products and services make the world go around and we must keep our consumers happy.”

Pearson has also authored Entrepreneurship? Kingdom Building Keys for those wishing to start a successful business. She hosts a radio talk show called “E-Diva and Friends” and also assisted in creating a women’s business enterprise center in the Midwest.

See you soon,

Shelley