The store, which will be located in the Lake Walden Square plaza, is set to open in the second half of 2017.
Once the ‘Coming Soon!’ sign went up on the side of Alexander Street, many Plant City residents started asking the same question:
What is Ulta?
Simply put, a one-stop beauty shop. Since Ulta Beauty was founded in 1990, the company has grown to offer 20,000 products at 949 retail stores across the United States.
In the second half of 2017, Plant City will be added to Ulta Beauty’s growing list of store locations.
The new store will be built in Lake Walden Square, though a construction start date has not yet been finalized. According to Carolyn Sutphen, the public relations media event manager for Ulta Beauty, the new store will be about 10,000 square feet. In addition to beauty products, the Plant City location also will include a full-service salon that offers hair, skin and brow services. The store will be connected to existing buildings in the shopping plaza.
More than 20 people will be hired to work at the new location, Sutphen said.Though beauty lovers can already shop at the popular retailer in nearby Lakeland and Brandon, Sutphen said the company aims to open in locations where it believes residents will be receptive.
“Our customers love that we have beauty products in a wide variety of price points,” Sutphen said. “(And) salon services for hair and skin, and a store team that offers excellent guest service and beauty expertise.”
The company worked with the City of Plant City in establishing a location for the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.
“This is a byproduct of economic development,” Plant City Economic Development Corp. President Jake Austin said. “This is a result of focusing on quality jobs and high wages, and job opportunities that attract people to our area.”
While there aren’t many available store spaces left in Lake Walden Square, Austin added that there are opportunities for retailers and small business owners across Alexander Street.
“I think it just builds on what our goals are all the time,” Austin said. “We’re lifting the quality of life and increasing amenities to make a more attractive community.”
Located between Brandon and Lakeland, the Plant City Ulta is expected to attract new clients as well as customers that previously had to travel out of the city to shop.
“Ulta Beauty is one of the fastest growing retailers,” Sutphen said in a statement. “We open in areas where there is easy access for our customers and where we feel that the local residents would be open to all that Ulta Beauty offers.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
