Shoppers at Walmart stores across the country are discovering a fresh approach to beauty shopping: dedicated specialists ready to provide personalized guidance on cosmetics and skincare products.
The retail giant is shifting away from its traditional self-service approach by placing knowledgeable beauty consultants throughout its cosmetics sections. These specialists can help customers find the perfect foundation match for their complexion or share insights about popular skincare products gaining traction on social media platforms like TikTok.
This initiative launched in 22 locations across Arkansas and Texas over recent months, with plans to expand to more than 400 of Walmart’s 4,600 U.S. locations before the year concludes.
The introduction of these “beauty experts” reflects Walmart’s strategy to capture more of the $129 billion American beauty and personal care industry. The company is competing directly with Target, Sephora, and traditional department stores by providing personalized service and engaging retail environments that encourage both in-person and digital shopping.
Last year, Walmart launched interactive sampling areas in 40 locations where customers could try products and consult with beauty advisors. This pilot “beauty bar” program has since expanded to hundreds of stores, according to Vinima Shekhar, who oversees beauty merchandising for Walmart’s domestic operations. The company’s plan to renovate 650 stores by year-end includes relocating beauty sections to store entrances and creating displays featuring social media-trending products.
“We’re not trying to be an Ulta or Sephora,” Shekhar explained to The Associated Press. “We have the breadth of assortment that no one else has. We have convenience that no one else has. What we also then want to do is layer on a level of service for both our associates and our customers: ‘Here’s what trending. Here’s what’s new.’”
While department stores and specialized beauty retailers have long employed cosmetics consultants, pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens introduced beauty specialists to many locations over the past ten years. Walmart’s entry into this space demonstrates how brick-and-mortar retailers are emphasizing personal service to differentiate themselves from online shopping sites and artificial intelligence chatbots.
The retailer has expanded its beauty inventory over the past year to include upscale brands such as French pharmacy skincare line La Roche Posay, Australian natural cosmetics brand Nude by Nature, and FHI Heat styling tools. These premium products carry higher price points, with some La Roche Posay sunscreens priced just below $40 for a 1.7-ounce bottle.
This beauty department overhaul supports Walmart’s broader effort to enhance its product selection and store atmosphere while attracting customers with higher disposable incomes. According to Shekhar, shoppers interested in premium products beyond basic skincare and hair essentials seek inspiration during their shopping experience.
Target revealed in early March its intention to broaden its luxury beauty offerings and deploy specially trained staff members this fall across 600 stores. These locations will feature a new Target Beauty Studio section that will partially replace existing in-store Ulta shops. The Target-Ulta partnership, which included Ulta beauty consultants in Target stores, concludes in August.
Enhanced customer service specialists may expand to other retail departments beyond beauty. Whitney Hunt, vice president of Walmart’s domestic operations, indicated the company is exploring the addition of electronics experts.
Target recently introduced a “baby boutique” experience in nearly 200 stores last month, featuring concierge services to help shoppers locate products from expectant parents’ registries.
Despite artificial intelligence’s potential impact on employment across various sectors, job postings for beauty experts and advisors have remained relatively steady from February 2020 through this month, according to Cory Stahle, an economist with Indeed’s research division. During the same timeframe, online postings for marketing and software development positions dropped by more than 20%, Indeed reported.
Beauty expert positions offered a median hourly wage of $19.54 in March, approximately $2 above the hourly rate for other retail positions, based on Indeed’s data. Walmart’s beauty experts can earn between $14 and $35 per hour depending on store location, which aligns closely with the $14 to $37 hourly range for all of Walmart’s hourly employees.
Walmart’s beauty consultants complete a full day of training at a company academy and receive continuous education on products, seasonal trends, and customer interaction. Unlike employees at department stores and specialty beauty chains, these advisors do not apply makeup on customers or provide makeover services.
The company provides digital resources to help advisors track their sales objectives, identify their beauty department’s bestselling brands, and compare their store’s performance with other Walmart locations, Hunt explained.
Helena Bacon, a 21-year-old University of Arkansas junior studying biology, described how last fall’s training enhanced her ability to assist customers. Previously, she worked in the pharmacy, health, and personal care section covering basic items like shampoos and toothpaste at a Fayetteville store, occasionally helping customers locate beauty products.
Bacon now comprehends product ingredients, can recommend flattering lipstick shades for different customers, and stays current with TikTok trends.
“I was kind of everywhere before,” she explained. “But now that I’m just in my section, if someone does come up to me and asks for a recommendation for something, … I could go over with them into that section and say, ‘This what I know is good for the problem you’re trying to fix.’”
