Bath & Body Works revives discontinued scent for new Ulta partnership
For decades, shopping at Bath & Body Works necessitated a stop at the mall.
But as shopping habits change and mall traffic continues to decline, the retailer has been expanding its footprint to better meet changing consumer preferences.
On June 23, the fragrance and body care retailer announced a partnership with one of the country's largest specialty beauty retailers, making it easier than ever to pick up that nostalgic body spray or perfect seasonal candle.
"The collaboration reflects the company's focus on building the foundation to reposition Bath & Body Works from a specialty retailer into a category‑leading global brand," Bath & Body Works said in a statement accompanying the announcement.
Bath & Body Works is launching in Ulta
Beginning on July 12, a curated selection of Bath & Body Works products will be available in more than 600 Ulta Beauty locations and online at Ulta.com.
The assortment will reportedly include a number of Bath & Body Works' signature scents in forms like fine fragrance, body mist, body cream, and hand soap as well as a number of its iconic three-wick candles and wallflowers.
"As the largest specialty beauty retailer in the U.S. and a leading destination for brand discovery, Ulta Beauty offers access to highly engaged consumers who actively shop across categories, frequently test and explore new products, and seek high-quality, ingredient-led beauty brands," a statement accompanying the announcement read. "Bath & Body Works designed its assortment with this consumer at the center."
Related: Ulta Beauty adds new offering for customers amid Amazon threat
Among the most notable items in the collection are the return of Juniper Breeze and the mini fine fragrance mist set.
Juniper Breeze is a classic Bath & Body Works scent that was discontinued in the 2010s and will now return as an Ulta exclusive.
The fragrance set is another Ulta exclusive, bringing together five of Bath & Body Works' most iconic scents - Japanese Cherry Blossom, In the Stars, Warm Vanilla Sugar, Butterfly, and Champagne Toast - in travel-sized form.
Bath & Body Works is looking beyond the mall
The Ulta expansion is in line with Bath & Body Works' broader market strategy, to "expand beyond its owned stores and digital channels to meet consumers in the places they already discover, browse and buy beauty, fragrance and self-care products."
In February, the retailer launched on Amazon with a limited selection of its products. The partnership has helped Bath & Body Works grow its bottom line, according to CEO Daniel Heaf.
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"The channel is helping us reach consumers who are not shopping with us through our own channels, with a meaningful skew toward younger and more affluent consumers," he told investors during the company's first quarter fiscal year 2026 earnings call.
"We are delivering higher AURs on Amazon relative to our own channels," he continued. "We view Amazon as an important complement to our own platforms, and we are learning thoughtfully, refining, and scaling our presence."
Bath & Body Works adapts to changing shopping habits
The beauty industry is growing rapidly, McKinsey & Company projects 5% annual growth through 2030. However, that growth will not be uniform across all categories and brands.
"Players with novel products, as well as new entrants from adjacent categories, are gaining ground against incumbents," McKinsey's 2026 State of Beauty report says. "And as product discovery and purchase migrate toward creators, social platforms, and digital marketplaces, legacy beauty channels such as department stores and specialty retail chains must find new ways to attract and retain shoppers."
For Bath & Body Works, which could be easily categorized as both a legacy chain and a specialty retail chain, seeing the benefits of the industry's overall growth will be dependent on its ability to adapt to changing consumer preferences.
"We are focused on meeting consumers wherever they choose to shop, in stores, online, and across third-party platforms," Heaf told investors in May. "Across all of our channels, our objective is clear: to be in the path of the consumer, spark discovery, and ensure Bath & Body Works shows up clearly, consistently, whenever and wherever consumers choose to shop."
For shoppers, the strategy means Bath & Body Works products may become increasingly available outside the mall locations that helped make the brand famous.
And for the retailer, which was once built around destination shopping, meeting customers outside its own stores may ultimately prove to be one of its most important growth opportunities.
Related: Target launches unexpected partnership beyond apparel
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