Ulta Beauty isn’t letting retail forecasts of a consumer pullback spoil its holiday joy.

The beauty retailer is going full throttle into the season with a bevy of newness and a mega-partnership with the cinematic release of Wicked. Ulta Beauty executives showed off what they have in store at an event called Unwrapping Joy, with more than 100 brand partners, beauty press, and content creators attending the evening event on Wednesday, September 25, at Brooklyn’s 1Hotel last week.

Deloitte’s annual holiday retail forecast holds gains to between 2.3% and 3.3% for a total of $1.58 trillion, down from $1.59 trillion in 2023. This year, retailers face the challenge of a shortened shopping period with only 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Compounding that, beauty has experienced a slowdown after more than three years of robust growth.

Ulta Beauty is employing marketing wizardry, as evidenced by the dazzling reveal of hundreds of items that will be featured this holiday season in stores and online. Many are fast-growing indie brands recently added to Ulta’s roster including Dibs, Polite Society, and Orebella.

The tie-in with Wicked was reflected at the event with Oz-inspired product display fixtures and a pink and green color scheme — an homage to Wicked’s Elphaba and Glinda.

The retailer’s Chief Marketing Officer, Michelle Crossan-Matos, and Chief Merchandising Officer, Monica Arnaudo, served as cohosts at the gathering, which included a slide that sent passengers into a pit of foam products and a networking dinner.

“There was special gridlock today and a little bit of rain, but you all made it,” Crossan-Matos said referring to the notorious United Nations traffic. “We are trying to showcase here that we are on a mission to spread joy. This holiday, we want to help people find joy in the present.”

Added Arnaudo, “I want to thank all the brand founders that brought amazing products — some quite wickedly delicious.” The duo was joined by Ulta Beauty executives including Maria Salcedo, SVP of Merchandising; Penny Coy, SVP Skincare, Suncare, Haircare, Bodycare, Wellness; Jessica Phillips, VP of Merchandising; Brandi Pitts, SVP of Brand Marketing and Media, and Kelly Mahoney, SVP of Customer and Growth Marketing.

More than 25 brands were represented, including E.l.f., WYN Beauty, LolaVie, r.e.m. Beauty, Beekman 1802, Dibs, Rizos Curls, and Touchland.

The effort behind the holiday exemplifies actions outlined by CEO Dave Kimbell after lower than expected second-quarter results, including strengthening assortments, boosting social relevance via influencers, leveraging its loyalty program, and upping promotional activities. Diamond and Platinum Ulta Beauty Rewards members will get early access to shop the Wicked collection. Loyalty members, for example, will receive advance.

WYN Beauty by Serena is one of the brands excited about Ulta Beauty’s holiday. “WYN Beauty is thrilled to participate in this year’s curated and festive collection with two special edition gift sets of our lip collections perfectly wrapped up and ready to give,” said Shawn Haynes, WYN Beauty President. “The joy and beauty were overflowing at Ulta’s holiday preview event,” he added.

Brands praised Ulta’s merchants for their support. Julissa Prado, Founder of Rizos Curls, discussed with Arnaudo how important the retailer has been for the growth of her brand. Rizos Curls is now available in all Ulta Beauty doors — a first for a Latin-owned curly hair care brand.

Joel Ronkin, co-founder and CEO of LolaVie, said Ulta’s holiday debut was impressive. “We could not be more pleased with our partnership and, based on what we saw at the holiday preview event, I expect that Ulta Beauty as well as ourselves will have a very strong holiday season. Our exclusive retail partnership with Ulta Beauty has unlocked so much potential and growth for LolaVie, bringing our brand to their loyal community of consumers who are eager to embrace LolaVie’s science-backed haircare solutions,” he said.

Several brands spotlighted their Wicked-inspired items that will go on sale on October 6. As part of the collection, Ulta Beauty will exclusively feature r.e.m. beauty’s limited-edition nine-piece makeup set, designed by superstar Ariana Grande, who stars as Glinda in the film. The assortment will take centerstage at the front of Ulta Beauty stores.

At Ulta Beauty’s Herald Square, New York, and Santa Monica, California stores, guests will be transported to the Land of Oz through full store takeovers, featuring immersive Wicked experiences, like walking the yellow brick road through beauty aisles and receiving Elphaba and Glinda-inspired makeup salon services offered by r.e.m.

Beekman 1802, OPI, It Brushes for Ulta, Caboodles, Conair, Wet Brush, Wella, Scunci, and Tartan + Twine round out the brands that are part of the Wicked collection.

Another showstopper display was the 68 toy replicas of full-size beauty products such as E.l.f. and Tarte from Mini Brands. “I’m obsessed with these,” said a Gen Z guest at the event. The Mini Brands are favorites of Gen Z and Gen Alpha, according to the company which has also issued minis of food, sneakers, and apparel. The Ulta x Mini Brands collection kicks off on October 6 while supplies last.

Hear from Ulta Beauty’s “She Suite” on October 30 when CEW presents the retailer’s four top female executives in a panel discussion including: President & Chief Operating Officer Kecia Steelman; Chief Marketing Officer Michelle Crossan-Matos; Chief Merchandising Officer Monica Arnaudo; and Chief Financial Officer Paula Oyibo. Visit cew.org to buy your tickets now before they sell out. (This event will sell out!)