Ulta Beauty, a major U.S. retailer with over 1,200 stores and a full-service salon, operates a comprehensive rewards program called Ultamate Rewards. This program is the primary gateway for customers to access free products, promotional gifts, and special event perks. In 2018, Ulta structured its freebies around several key mechanisms: birthday gifts for rewards members, gift-with-purchase (GWP) promotions tied to specific spending thresholds, exclusive event offers, and significant sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The availability and details of these offers varied throughout the year, often changing quarterly or aligning with promotional calendars.
Ulta's Ultamate Rewards Program and Birthday Gifts
Access to Ulta's freebies is fundamentally linked to membership in the Ultamate Rewards program. According to the provided data, customers must sign up for this loyalty program to be eligible for birthday gifts. The process for redeeming a birthday gift involves receiving a unique barcode via email close to the customer's birthday, which is valid for the entire birthday month. This barcode can be presented in-store or on a mobile device for scanning. A key benefit is that no purchase is required to receive the birthday gift; it is a standalone freebie for members. Additionally, members earn double points on all purchases during their birthday month, which can later be redeemed for coupons.
Ulta organizes its birthday gifts into quarterly sets. For 2018, the sets were designated for the following periods: January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December. The specific gift for the January-March 2018 quarter was an Ulta brand Cranberry and Pomegranate lip oil and lip mask, described as having a claimed value of $12. The data indicates this gift was viewed as a less premium offering compared to previous years. While the data specifies the January-March gift, it confirms the quarterly structure but does not provide details for the other quarters of 2018.
Gift-With-Purchase (GWP) Promotions
A significant portion of Ulta's freebies in 2018 were offered as gifts with qualifying purchases. These promotions typically required a minimum spend on the Ulta website or in-store to receive a free product, often a multi-piece beauty bag or a specific full-size item. The minimum purchase requirement and the contents of the gift bag varied by promotion.
Examples from the 2018 calendar include: * January 19: A free Roxette Arisa Beauty Bag with any $75 ULTA.com purchase. * February 5: A free 28-piece Platinum bag with a $150 purchase, and a separate Diamond-only perk offering a free full-size BADgal BANG! Volumizing Mascara with any online purchase. * April 24-28: A choice of one free 22-piece beauty bag with any $75 online purchase. * May 19-22: A free 29-piece bag with any $65 online purchase. * July 12: A free 21-piece beauty bag with a $75 purchase, plus a free card case with any $100 purchase. * August 8: A free 3-piece Tarte gift with a $60 purchase, alongside free shipping on orders of $35 or more. * August 23: A free 25-piece gift with a $60 purchase and a free 20-piece gift with a $30 purchase. * September 3: A free 10-piece Matte Lip Sampler with any $75 online purchase. * September 12: A free 12-piece Skincare Sampler with any $75 online purchase. * September 21: A free 35-piece beauty bag with a $125 purchase (Platinum perk). * October 10: A free 20-piece beauty bag with three options available for a $75 purchase.
These GWPs were frequently tied to larger promotional events or were exclusive to specific membership tiers (Platinum or Diamond) within the Ultamate Rewards program.
Exclusive Sales Events and Member Perks
Ulta's event calendar for 2018 featured several major sales and member appreciation days that provided access to free products or significant discounts that could be combined with freebies.
21 Days of Beauty: This biannual event, occurring in the spring (March 18-April 7) and fall (September 2-22), featured daily deals on specific beauty products. While the core of the event is discounted pricing, it often coincided with additional GWP offers. For instance, during the fall 2018 event, a 3x/5x points promotion ran concurrently with other offers.
Platinum and Diamond Perks Days: Ulta reserved special days for its top-tier members. These perks included free full-size products with purchase. For example, on February 5, Diamond members received a free full-size mascara with any online order. On July 9 and August 6, Platinum Perks Days were held, though the specific free gifts for these days are not detailed in the provided data. On August 20, Diamond and Platinum Appreciation Day offered 10 points on select products.
Other Notable Events: * Love Your Skin Event (January 7-27): Included a free 26-piece gift with a $70 skincare purchase. * The Gorgeous Hair Event (May 13-June 2 and September 30-October 20): These events focused on haircare and often featured corresponding GWPs. * National Lipstick Day (July 29): The data notes "offers" were available but does not specify if they included free products. * 20% Off Sales: Several sitewide 20% off sales occurred throughout the year (e.g., January 23-February 3, April 12-21), which could be combined with other offers to lower the cost of qualifying for a GWP. An August 28-31 sale offered 20% off sitewide specifically for Ulta Credit Card holders.
Major Sales Events: Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Ulta's Black Friday 2018 event featured a variety of deals, including free gifts and discounted sets that functioned as sampling opportunities. The data highlights deals under $20, such as an "Ulta Beauty Fragrance Faves" set for $15, which included 15 mini perfumes or colognes. This set is described as a sampling set, allowing customers to try multiple fragrances at a reduced cost. Other Ulta Beauty Collection sets included lip glosses, nail colors, haircare, and bath sets.
Following Black Friday, Ulta's Cyber Monday 2018 promotion (valid through November 27) offered a free 22-piece Beauty Bag with any $75 purchase, alongside up to 50% off cosmetics and a $10 off $50 purchase code (CYBERMON18). Free shipping was available on orders of $35 or more.
Conclusion
In 2018, Ulta Beauty provided a structured system for customers to access free products and samples primarily through its Ultamate Rewards program. The main avenues for freebies were quarterly birthday gifts for members, frequent gift-with-purchase promotions tied to specific spending thresholds, and exclusive offers during major sales events like 21 Days of Beauty, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. Access to the most valuable freebies, such as full-size products and high-piece-count gift bags, often required membership in the Platinum or Diamond tiers and a qualifying purchase. The promotional calendar was dynamic, with offers changing weekly or monthly, emphasizing the importance of monitoring Ulta's official channels for current opportunities.