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32 May 2016 | beautystorebusiness.com "ULTA Beauty is dedicated to profession- als within the industry, and key to this is the development and training of our salon associates," Ovington and McGann say. Because ULTA Beauty is such a force in the industry, its growing number of locations has meant more opportunity for professionals in the field. In its 800-plus locations, ULTA Beauty to date has employed almost 4,000 hairdressers, 1,200 brow experts and 940 skin therapists "who are helping ULTA Beauty stand out among other independent salons and chains," they say. "We continue to support their growth through our Path to Abundance Program." In order to help individual salon associates achieve "personal and pro- fessional success while strengthening loyalty," the company instituted what is known as the Path to Abundance Pro- gram. "We are passionate about helping our salon professionals grow, both as stylists and as businesspeople," McGann says. "The program focuses on technical training, education in business building and individual career development." In the program, salon professionals learn not only styling techniques but financial-budgeting and wealth-building tips as well. "We focus on setting up each salon professional with an under- standing that they control their results and destiny," McGann says. The Path to Abundance Program consists of five levels, and when associates advance to another level, they are provided with a compensation increase that is based on their specific skill set. When customers go into The Salon at ULTA Beauty needing a haircut, they can rest assured knowing that they are getting a consULTAtion to address their unique hair needs from an expert. "We coach our salon professionals to support guests in selecting their product and service needs. We teach our associates to invite guests to experience a consUL- TAtion in our salon. During the process, our salon professionals will identify the guest's hair needs, and as a follow-up, recommend a service solution as well as a product solution to fit their regimen," McGann says. Helping guests find their perfect morn- ing beauty routine doesn't just stop at hair care. "This year, we have combined hair and makeup together in our seasonal col- lections. We are more focused on training on the overall 'look' to better suit our guests," Ovington and McGann say. KEEPING UP WITH THE HOTTEST TRENDS Each stylist at The Salon at ULTA Beauty regularly receives training not only to ini- tially become a Redken-certified colorist and learn the ULTA Beauty Principles of Cutting and Color, Smoothing and Trends, but also to stay in touch with new and upcoming trends. "Stylists receive hands-on trend train- ing twice each year that encompasses product launches," McGann says. "Styl- ists for The Salon at ULTA Beauty also receive ancillary training as needed throughout the year." With a company culture that recog- nizes and rewards the success of its employees, ULTA Beauty names its most effective stylists—those who are consis- tently meeting or surpassing their sales goals—as Elite Salon Professionals. "When a stylist for The Salon at ULTA Beauty has sales that reach $100,000 within a year, they become an Elite Salon Professional," McGann says. "For those who go above and beyond $100,000 in sales, we have additional levels of Elite Salon Professionals." STRAIGHT FROM THE RUNWAY TO YOU In order for ULTA Beauty to have a leg up over the competition and remain influential in the industry, the company constantly strives to predict hot trends spanning hair, fashion and beauty, and integrate them into their hundreds of locations across the country. To do this, it formed a team of creative profession- als that draws inspiration from all over, including fashion and pop culture. "The ULTA Beauty Artistic Team is a group of top stylists from across the country that create all of the haircut, color and style collections for The Salon at ULTA Beauty," Ovington and McGann say. "Taking inspiration from looks seen on the runways of New York Fashion Week, the Artistic Team helps us iden- tify the newest trends of the season and create ULTA Beauty's trend collections each fall and spring." Once a trend is identified, the last step is for the salon professionals at ULTA Beauty's locations to be trained— so patrons can feel confident in that stylists know the newest techniques. "These trends then get translated into training and education platforms for ULTA Beauty salon teams nationwide and are communicated to our guests through marketing vehicles." ■ For more information on the premium services by The Salon at ULTA Beauty, or to find a location near you, visit ulta.com. Karen Wilhelmsen is a freelance writer and editor based in Orange County, CA. THE 2016 SUMMER TRENDS REPORT "There are many exciting things to come this year at ULTA Beauty," executives Sandy Ovington and Jennifer McGann say. Here ake a look at so velopments customer ill soon see in their locations across the country. ¥ Pretty in Pastels: This season, the beauty of a gorgeous location inspired ULTA BeautyÕs summer collection. ÒTaking inspiration from the deserts of Palm Springs, this hair and makeup collection incorporates beautiful, windswept hair looks alongside pastel shades of makeup with names like ÔWatercolor Charm,Õ that we think our guests will love,Ó they say. ¥ Fight Pesky Signs of Aging: For skin care, anti-aging products have long been some of the most popular because fine lines and wrinkles are two of the top skin problems. However, youÕll be surprised to know that this trend is now even making its way to haircare products. ÒOn the merchandising side, we are about to launch an exclusive new line from Living Proof called Timeless,Ó Ovington and Jennifer McGann say. This line will consist of a four-part system that that Òcombats and reverses intrinsic and extrinsic signs of aging,Ó they say. ÒInspired by trends in anti-aging skincare products, Living Proof Timeless helps to fortify hair, lock in color and add fullness to thin hair.Ó ¥ Voluminous, Beachy Waves Are Back: In spring 2016, ULTA Beauty launched two new lines from their tried-and-true partner and trusted brand, Redken. The two new collections were called High Rise Volume and Beach Envy Volume, perfect for customers who love those curly tendrils. Image courtesy of ULTA Beauty