Skip to content
‹ Back to IndustriesRetail

The Power of Consumer Insights: Enhance Performance and Customer Loyalty with Data

In this episode of Retail Refined, host Melissa Gonzalez speaks with Elizabeth Oates, VP of Consumer Insights at Ulta Beauty, about how data-driven consumer insights can drive business performance and deepen customer loyalty. Recorded at the Retail Influencer CEO Forum 2023, the conversation covers how Ulta understands shoppers holistically across generations — from Gen Z to Gen Alpha — and uses those insights to craft authentic, engaging retail experiences.

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Retail teams put it to work with Sales Enablement.

Promoted content from Retail Refined on MarketScale.

By Melissa Gonzalez · · Consumer InsightsElizabeth OatesMelissa GonzalezRetail Influencer Ceo Forum
Share

Key takeaways

01

Consumer insights that span generational cohorts — from Gen Z to Gen Alpha — give retailers a meaningful competitive edge.

02

Ulta Beauty leverages data holistically to create authentic experiences that foster long-term customer loyalty.

03

Understanding customers beyond transactions — behaviorally and emotionally — is key to shaping the future of the beauty retail industry.

Free workspace

Turn your Retail expertise into content.

Record interviews, organize footage, and write with AI on a free trial of the MarketScale platform for qualifying companies. No demo required, no credit card.

Try it Free

In the latest episode of Retail Refined, conducted at the Retail Influencer CEO Forum 2023, host Melissa Gonzalez explores the transformative power of consumer insights with guest Elizabeth Oates, VP of Consumer Insights at Ulta Beauty. They discuss how data-driven insights can enhance performance, foster customer loyalty, and shape the beauty industry's future. Oates emphasizes the importance of understanding consumers holistically, from Gen Z to the upcoming Gen Alpha, and how Ulta is leveraging insights to create authentic and engaging experiences for all.

Data-driven insights can enhance performance, foster customer loyalty, and shape the beauty industry's future.

Retail Refined

Part of this channel

Retail Refined

In-store technology and consumer experience trends for retail leaders.

Visit the channel

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Retail starts with a company putting its merchandising leads, store operations teams, and category managers on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Category buyers trust operators, so your merchandising leads shorten the distance between first search and first call.

Book DemoSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

About the author

Melissa Gonzalez
Melissa GonzalezTop Retail Voice, Influencer, and Lead Retail Contributor, Retail Refined

Industry-recognized influencer, leader, and storyteller in Retail. Lead Retail Industry Contributor at MarketScale. Principal at MG2 Design. Host of "Retail Refined" Podcast. As a global brand and retail experience disruptor, Melissa possess strong proficiency in consumer insights, experiential design, retail technology integration, and brand innovation. During her career, she have created powerful visual narratives through physical spaces, imprinting complex concepts and ideas to consumers in genuine, tactile, and persuasive manners. She have also served as a consumer engagement trendsetter, “pop-up” industry pioneer, and entrepreneur. Melissa founded and launched a consumer experiential design firm that achieved a successful exit, driving initial client wins, monetization, and exponential revenue growth. "Melissa brings both her industry knowledge and an approachable and educational point of view to her interviewing skills. With an authentic style, she facilitates an engaging dialogue, one where listeners can walk away from with tangible insights and thought provokers!" -Jeffrey Roseman, Vice Chairman of Retail at Newmark "What sets Melissa apart is her ability to cut through the noise and provide actionable insights. Whether you’re a store owner looking to revamp your space or a tech enthusiast curious about the next big thing in retail, you’ll find tangible ideas to build on. From seasoned designers to pioneering tech gurus - ensuring that listeners are always engaged with diverse and forward-thinking perspectives. Retail Refined doesn’t just skim the surface; it dives deep into topics that matter. If staying ahead of the retail curve is important to you, start here." -Nate Frazier, Chief Operating Officer of GNC

B2B Weekly

The week in Retail, and sixteen other industries, every Monday.

Ten stories, one-line takes, five minutes. Free.

Retail: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Retail buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. Explore how your experts, customers, and partners can become useful content for buyers and AI search.

Free Trial

You just read one Retail expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your merchandising leads, store operations teams, and category managers into the articles, video, and social content Retail buyers are searching for. Start a free trial and see it with your own people. For qualifying companies, no credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What your free trial includes

Hands-on access to the MarketScale platform
Media requests to your crowd, remote recording, AI writing tools
No demo required. No credit card.
For qualifying companies. Company confirmation required.

More Retail Insights

Grocery Vision AI takes blame for network failures underneath

Grocery Vision AI takes blame for network failures underneath

Network issues can hurt customer experience by causing self-checkout lag and dropped camera feeds, which can frustrate customers.

  • 01Network instability can cause AI systems in grocery stores to perform poorly during peak hours.
  • 02Perceived Vision AI failures are often misattributed when the network underneath is the more likely cause.
  • 03Customer frustration can increase when self-checkout lanes experience delays or disruptions.

Oct 6, 2026

Retail tech rollouts slip when nobody plans for the live store

Retail tech rollouts slip when nobody plans for the live store

Retail technology rollouts often slip when plans ignore the operating store itself. By piloting in low-revenue locations, reserving recovery time before opening, coordinating hardware and field resources, and standardizing store types upfront, retailers can protect opening dates and customer experience while deploying new systems.

  • 01Pilot technology in low-revenue stores where failure costs least revenue, not in flagships, to surface conversion problems before high-impact rollouts.
  • 02Build cutover schedules with dedicated recovery time before store opening; a failed cutover at 5 a.m. with no margin forces either broken equipment or late opening.
  • 03Coordinate hardware procurement, staging, and field technician availability as a single constraint; delays in any handoff push back every dependent store visit.

Oct 6, 2026

Amazon says Prime delivery can run on merchants’ sites at no added MCF cost

Amazon says Prime delivery can run on merchants’ sites at no added MCF cost

U.S. merchants using Amazon’s Multichannel Fulfillment can offer Prime delivery on their own websites at no cost beyond standard fees, Amazon says. Amazon verifies Prime membership after checkout, so shoppers don’t log in to Amazon and merchants keep their own checkout while handling returns and customer service. Separately, Amazon says its MCF Preferred Pricing Program can lower fulfillment fees 15% to 25% for eligible FBA sellers during their first six months, with benefits continuing through a 12-month program.

  • 01The Prime badge now costs an MCF merchant nothing beyond the fulfillment fee it already pays, and the checkout page stays the merchant's own.

Sep 26, 2026

Explore More Retail Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Retail.

Browse Retail Hub

About the Experts

Melissa Gonzalez
Melissa Gonzalez

Host, Retail Refined & Principal, MG2

Retail Refined

Melissa Gonzalez is a retail strategist, brand consultant, and host of the Retail Refined podcast on MarketScale. She is a principal at MG2, a design and architecture firm focused on retail environments. Gonzalez is known for her expertise in retail innovation, consumer experience, and emerging generational trends.

EO
Elizabeth Oates

VP of Consumer Insights

Ulta Beauty

Elizabeth Oates serves as VP of Consumer Insights at Ulta Beauty, where she leads data-driven research into customer behavior across generational cohorts. She focuses on translating consumer intelligence into strategies that enhance loyalty and brand engagement. Oates spoke at the Retail Influencer CEO Forum 2023.

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Retail and beyond.

Book a Demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512