When attendees eagerly entered Ulta Beauty World at 9 a.m., phones in hand and empty branded roller bags in tow, they were transported to a pink-and-orange-tinted universe where everything revolved around beauty.

In Orlando, Florida’s Orange County Convention Center, the Ulta Beauty store was essentially supersized across an entire expo hall, with branded gondolas now immersive experiences—like Too Faced’s chocolate-scented bakery, Maybelline’s New York City hot dog cart, and NYX’s sailor-filled yacht. At the more than 200 booths, there were beauty-themed games to be played, photos to be taken, foundation shades to be expertly matched, perfumes to be spritzed, and new and unreleased products to be sampled.

But unlike at its stores, there’s no checkout at Ulta Beauty World. Each booth experience simply ends with a stamp of a consumer’s “passport,” with free, often full-sized, products, plus a $2,000 swag bag for each of its 3,000 attendees. That’s the main reason they—much to the chagrin of the 3 million beauty lovers who attempted to get tickets—sold out the second iteration of the event, held earlier this month, in just 71 minutes, even though Ulta Beauty sold double the number of tickets it offered at the event’s viral debut in San Antonio, Texas, last year.

“[Last year], I learned just how much people want to be a part of this. It’s coveted,” Ulta Beauty CMO Kelly Mahoney told Retail Brew. “We created the best, buzziest beauty experience in real life that anybody has been able to do.”

Keep reading here.—EC

Kotex is in the midst of a makeover.

Or, rather, it’s in the process of “a complete brand overhaul” of everything from innovation to marketing to activation, Katie Moran, president of the adult and feminine care business unit at Kotex parent company Kimberly-Clark in North America, told us.

The impetus for the change is simple: In the last decade, the Kotex brand, which was founded more than a hundred years ago, has been “losing relevance” with its customers, Moran explained, all while broader category innovation has stagnated to a point where consumers are unhappy—and saying so in market research, on social channels like Reddit.

Rather than ignoring the feedback, Kotex is taking it head-on in its latest campaign, called “You Asked. We Heard.”

Keep reading here on Marketing Brew.—KM

If you’re looking to get educated about changing retail trends from the comfort of your desk, there are plenty of options this week.

This includes a virtual event from Retail Brew exploring how agentic commerce is changing the retail journey and how the traditional model is no longer viable. Topics include how to maximize ROI, boost consumer loyalty and trust, and increase product discovery. Joining the discussion are ElevenLabs GTM Lauren Kiefer, CDW Director of Strategy Andy Szanger, and Vêtir CEO Kate Davidson Hudson.

Here’s what else is going on in retail this week:

In promotions: Amazon is running yet another spring sale with its fourth annual Summer Beauty Event, which begins today and runs through Mother’s Day on May 10. During the two-week event, Amazon will offer discounts up to 30% on beauty brands such as Dyson, Biodance, and Charlotte Tilbury, and categories spanning makeup, skin care, hair care, fragrance, wellness, and personal care.

Keep reading here.—AV