Penny Coy, vice president of merchandising at Ulta Beauty, took time to chat with Happi.com about top trending launches in fragrance for the season and how her company is meeting consumer demands for the latest and greatest scents.
 
Coy was named vice president of merchandising in February 2017 and now leads the Skincare, Suncare, Fragrance & Bodycare categories at Ulta Beauty. Previously, she served in multiple merchandising leadership roles and categories throughout her 14 years at Ulta Beauty. 

Prior to joining, Coy acquired retail experience in a variety of buying, sourcing/ product development and planning roles for department stores and specialty retailers. She is also a board member of The Fragrance Foundation and a member of Leading Women Executives. 
 
Coy is on the pulse of all things fragrance at the leading beauty retailer. Read on to learn more!
 
Happi: What are  Ulta Beauty shoppers looking for in their fragrance products (perfume, cologne, mists) right now and why?
 
PC: At Ulta Beauty, we continue to see strong engagement across our fragrance category, with guests showing a particular interest in our luxury and prestige fragrance offerings, including YSL Beauty, Dior, Gucci, Viktor & Rolf, Givenchy and more. Luxury and designer fragrances serve as an entry point to luxury beauty for some guests and are also preferred by those willing to pay more for higher concentration formulas and eau de parfumes designed to last longer on the skin. 
 
We’re also seeing increased interest in celebrity fragrances among our Gen Z guests who are currently loving Ariana Grande’s latest MOD Eau de Parfumes, Eilish by Billie Eilish and Born Dreamer by Charli D’Amelio. These scents are one way guests and fans of celebrity and influencer-backed brands are connecting to the founders they’re passionate about while building their fragrance wardrobe to reflect their mood and lifestyle. This includes conscious fragrances that are cruelty-free, vegan and sustainably packaged, unisex options and formats like roller balls, mists and travel sprays that allow users to apply and reapply on the go. 
  
Happi: Any big launches you’d like to mention for Spring 2023 with fragrance?
 
PC: We’re excited to introduce Billie Eilish’s second fragrance, Eilish No. 2, exclusively at Ulta Beauty!  

Guests can shop the new fragrance now on Ulta.com and in all stores nationwide. As the proud home to a growing fragrance assortment spanning brands, formats and price points, we have something for everyone and invite guests to discover their new favorite scent at Ulta Beauty.  

  
Happi: Any future trends to look out for in fragrance? 
 
PC: As we look ahead, building a fragrance wardrobe is a growing trend that’s here to stay. It’s no longer about finding one signature scent, rather one scent for everyday of the week. We are even seeing our guests layer their favorite fragrances together to create their own custom fragrance blends. 
 
With the fragrance category having a distinct link to wellness and self-care, we are finding our guests changing up their scents to reflect their current mood or to transport them to a special memory or destination. 
 
Additionally, we’re seeing high growth in the natural space with more fragrances making cleaner formulations of their more popular scents. Exclusive fragrances including God Is a Woman by Ariana Grande, Eilish by Billie Eilish and Born Dreamer by Charlie D’Amelio meet our Conscious Beauty clean, vegan ingredient and sustainable packaging pillars and are beloved by our Gen Z guests who tend to lean more to sustainable options that align with their values.  
 
We also introduced Ralph Lauren Polo Earth Eau de Toilette this past year, a gender neutral, light fragrance celebrating nature with seven ingredients sourced sustainably from around the world. We believe more prestige and legacy fragrance brands will continue to follow this trend to connect with this influential generation that is helping to shape the beauty space.