One of the key architect's of Ulta Beauty's success in prestige beauty, Tara Simon, is leaving the company, WWD has confirmed.
Simon was not immediately available for comment.
Simon, Ulta's senior vice president of merchandising, has been with Ulta for more than seven years. She started at Ulta in 2012 as vice president of prestige beauty, where she helped build up Ulta's assortment of makeup brands. She was the decision maker behind taking in some of the indie brands that would grow into major successes — like It Cosmetics.
The prestige makeup category was one of the key factors in Ulta's growth in recent years. Simon helped bring all kinds of major players, from Kylie Cosmetics to MAC, into the fold. More recently, Ulta has shifted its focus toward digitally native brands that have little prior exposure to retail, like Juvia's Place and Kylie.
Simon's departure also comes at a tough time for prestige cosmetics in the U.S. Sales have been sliding, and were down 7 percent in the most recent quarter, according to The NPD Group, to $1.7 billion.
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