Ulta is increasing its wellness store to have extra health-focused manufacturers and extra shelf area for these objects.
Melissa Repko | CNBC
Santa could also be bringing you some dietary supplements this yr.
Together with typical vacation want record objects like clothes, fragrance and devices, the wellness class is poised to achieve recognition this procuring season and past — notably as retailers like Ulta Magnificence and Goal give it extra shelf area lengthy earlier than the beginning of New 12 months’s resolutions.
Magnificence is at all times a top-performing vacation class. November and December mixed account for about 25% of annual spending on status magnificence objects, which incorporates manufacturers normally offered by specialty magnificence retailers and malls, in line with Circana, a market analysis group. Vacation buyers mentioned they plan to spend a median of $247 on magnificence whereas shopping for items this yr, the fourth-highest vacation class for spending, in line with Circana’s annual survey.
But the sweetness class’s assortment has grow to be wider ranging with the addition of extra well being and wellness-focused objects, reminiscent of merchandise that promise to enhance vitamin, hydration and sleep.
Larissa Jensen, international magnificence business advisor at Circana, mentioned wellness has gained consideration for the reason that Covid pandemic as shoppers prioritize self-care and feeling good from the “inside out.”
She mentioned health-related merchandise usually relegated to drugstore cabinets, reminiscent of tooth whitening kits, nutritional vitamins, full-body deodorants and eye drops, have gotten a glow-up. Some now come in additional enticing packaging, have gotten backing from influencers and celebrities or have moved to the sweetness part as retailers seize an opportunity to mix magnificence and wellness and grow to be a one-stop store.
Ulta Magnificence, specifically, has carved out extra space in its shops for wellness. The specialty retailer, which has greater than 1,450 shops throughout the nation, has at all times carried some particular person objects associated to wellness and “magnificence from inside,” mentioned Laura Beres, the retailer’s vice chairman of wellness.
But as demand grew after the pandemic, Ulta began to open wellness outlets within its shops in 2021 and devoted about 4 to eight ft of shelf area to objects together with probiotic gummies, sleep masks and aromatherapy oils. In August, the corporate mentioned it could broaden the dimensions of these wellness outlets to as much as 45 ft in a couple of third of its shops. It is added almost 30 new wellness manufacturers to its shops, bringing its complete to about 100, Beres mentioned.
She mentioned prospects who store wellness minimize throughout ages, however Ulta has seen development particularly with millennial buyers and shoppers with family incomes of greater than $100,000. She mentioned innovation has sparked extra curiosity, particularly as prospects search options for key life levels that manufacturers ignored prior to now, reminiscent of wants for pre- and post-pregnancy and menopause.
This yr, she mentioned Ulta is carrying some reward units of wellness objects, together with an Creation calendar of Saje Pure Wellness’ important oils and a magnificence sleep reward set from Kourtney Kardashian’s nutritional vitamins model, Lemme. But she mentioned she expects wellness to grow to be a much bigger a part of the vacations sooner or later because the class grows.
“It is the proper mixture of having the ability to give another person the reward of rest throughout the vacation season in a very elevated means that simply frankly, hasn’t existed out there earlier than,” she mentioned.
Neom Wellbeing is without doubt one of the manufacturers carried in Ulta Magnificence’s wellness outlets. The UK-based model makes dwelling fragrances and physique care objects with important oils supposed to cut back stress, enhance sleep or enhance temper or vitality ranges.
Courtesy of Neom Wellbeing
One of many manufacturers in Ulta’s wellness store is Neom Wellbeing, a United Kingdom-based firm that sells dwelling fragrances and body-care objects. Neom sells on-line via Amazon and its web site, with many top-sellers centered on enhancing sleep.
Amanda Kahn, normal supervisor for the U.S. at Neom, mentioned the corporate’s early sellers this vacation season had been stocking stuffers that value lower than $20. As buyers search worth due to inflation, wellness objects are enticing as a result of they’re additionally sensible, she mentioned.
“It feels very giftable whereas additionally delivering a profit that everybody can use,” she mentioned.
Customers at a Bathtub & Physique Works retailer at an outlet mall on Black Friday in Dawn, Florida, US, on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
Eva Marie Uzcategui | Bloomberg | Getty Photographs
Bathtub & Physique Works, greatest recognized for its fragranced soaps, candles and lotions, has launched extra wellness-focused objects, too. Early this month, as an illustration, it started promoting a brand new wellness perfume assortment known as “Water Winter Mint” with peppermint and alpine waters scents and components together with hyaluronic acid and shea butter.
Kristie Lewis, senior vice chairman of merchandising for the corporate, mentioned extra prospects have turned to the mall staple for body-care merchandise or items that enhance temper and clear up health-related challenges, reminiscent of dry pores and skin or hassle falling asleep.
Bathtub & Physique Works plans to maintain increasing its aromatherapy line and its ingredient-led merchandise, she mentioned. It has aromatherapy physique merchandise with pure important oils and launched a vacation assortment with the scents eucalyptus pine and vanilla nutmeg.
“We’re seeing shoppers actually purchase them for themselves, but additionally for items for vacation as a result of who doesn’t need stress aid or sleep, particularly round November and December?” she mentioned.
Diet and well being has been a trending class at Goal, too, Chief Industrial Officer Rick Gomez mentioned on a retailer tour within the Minneapolis space in October. He mentioned wellness has minimize throughout most of the classes Goal sells, reminiscent of Joylab, a non-public model that is providing vivid colours and floral prints of exercise gear, Khloe Kardashian’s Khloud protein popcorn, and wonder kits and pores and skin masks.
He mentioned a few of these objects are giftable, too. Gomez mentioned he purchased his nephew protein powder as a present.
Wellness might acquire extra sq. footage at Goal subsequent yr, he added. It is one of many concepts Goal is contemplating as its take care of Ulta Magnificence ends in August and the branded magnificence outlets within tons of of its shops shut, Gomez mentioned.
Whereas dietary supplements are usually extra widespread round New 12 months’s decision season, Gruns is hoping its gross sales get a vacation bump. It is promoting some packs of gummies with a vacation aptitude, together with a Grinch-inspired bitter punch taste.
Courtesy of Gruns
Grüns is without doubt one of the wellness objects on Goal’s cabinets. The superfood greens gummies are a more healthy spin on a fruit snack for adults, however with a dietary punch much like a greens powder, mentioned founder and CEO Chad Janis. Its identify is impressed by “grün,” the phrase for inexperienced in German.
Retailers together with Walmart, Sprouts Farmers Market and Sam’s Membership promote the gummies, which have expanded to different traces for youths and for immune assist for the reason that firm was based in 2023.
Whereas vitamin and complement gross sales are inclined to spike across the new yr, Janis mentioned the corporate hopes its gummies will probably be a present or a stocking stuffer. It is promoting some holiday-inspired objects, together with a Grinch-inspired bitter punch taste and a Goal pack that is vacation themed.
Walmart is carrying some wellness objects for the vacations, too, because it sees millennial and Gen Z buyers hunt down self-care and wellness objects year-round, reminiscent of reward units of physique washes from vitamin maker Olly and vitamin patches from Barrière that appear to be stickers or short-term tattoos.
Even exterior of the sweetness aisles, retailers have leaned into wellness as a gift-giving class, reminiscent of Greatest Purchase, which sells Oura rings and has demos for the health-tracking wearables, and Kohl’s, which carries objects together with therapeutic massage weapons and moveable ice baths.
Throughout this vacation season, wellness may get extra consideration from buyers who purchase objects for themselves whereas purchasing for items for family and friends, Circana’s Jensen mentioned.
“This is a little bit decoration with a lip gloss for you and tooth whitening merchandise for me,” she mentioned.
But, within the coming years, Jensen mentioned she expects wellness to achieve prominence on vacation want lists due to their excessive value tags and their wider acceptance. She in contrast it to anti-aging skin-care merchandise and reward units.
She mentioned they as soon as appeared taboo and now, they’re an merchandise that individuals request.
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