Report: Ulta seeks to bring men to stores with in-store boutiques

NEW YORK — Men's grooming continues to be an important focus for many retailers as evidenced by Ulta, which reportedly is rolling out men's grooming boutiques inside the vast majority of its stores by early August, according to a Reuters report.

The 389-store retailer already sells men's products but Ulta's president and CEO Chuck Rubin told the Reuters Consumer and Retail Summit on Tuesday that carving out a specific space within its stores for those products and pulling them together is "appropriate" and should increases sales of those items, Reuters reported.

The rollout of the men's boutiques, now under way, will be finished by early August, and will feature products from Procter & Gamble's The Art of Shaving line, as well as other items, such as electronic razors, cologne and hair care.

"While I think the men's grooming shop may increase the number of men who shop, the bulk of the products will still be bought by (a woman) for her significant other," Rubin was quoted as saying.

He said the men's boutiques would be a clearly dedicated space near the front of the stores, which on average are 10,000 sq. ft.