Big Lots can learn from Ulta's Supergirl tie-in strategy

Why Ulta’s Supergirl campaign matters to Big Lots

Ulta Beauty did not just attach itself to a movie. It built a reason for people to browse, compare, and buy by tying its Supergirl campaign to a cultural moment, then spreading that idea across digital and in-store activations, product collaborations, a digital buying guide, and limited-edition gift cards. The campaign launched May 27 and stars Milly Alcock, but the bigger story is the retail behavior it is designed to shape: more browsing, more discovery, and a clearer path to purchase.

That is the part Big Lots should pay attention to. In discount retail, customers do not come in on a fixed schedule looking for one exact item the way they might with groceries or prescriptions. They wander. They react to what looks new, what feels timely, and what seems like it will not be there next week. Ulta’s move shows how a retailer can turn that uncertainty into an advantage by giving the floor a story, not just merchandise.

The real power of a tie-in is not the tie-in itself

A movie partnership works because it gives a store a cultural hook customers already understand. Supergirl is not just another theme; it comes with recognition, visual identity, and an existing audience. Ulta used that to connect storytelling with shopping behavior, which matters because people move faster when the store helps them make sense of what they are seeing.

For Big Lots, that is the operator lesson: when the assortment is unpredictable, shoppers need orientation. A themed event can tell them what is new, why it is here now, and why they should buy it before it disappears. That reduces friction at the shelf, which is especially valuable in a value environment where hesitation can kill the sale.

What Ulta got right: a campaign built like a shopping system

Ulta’s campaign did not rely on one splashy display. It combined digital content, in-store presentation, collaborations, and special gift cards into one coordinated push. That matters because each piece reinforces the others. The digital buying guide helps shoppers arrive with a plan, the store presentation confirms the theme, and the product collaborations give the customer something concrete to put in the basket.

That is the difference between a promotion and a system. A promotion says, “Look at this.” A system says, “Here is what this is, here is where to find it, and here is why it belongs in your cart today.” Big Lots can use the same logic without Ulta’s budget by making the store easier to read. Seasonal home, beauty, and gift events work best when the floor itself answers the customer’s questions before an associate has to.

How Big Lots can turn browsing into basket growth

The most useful part of the Ulta example is not celebrity casting. It is the idea that themed merchandising can create momentum in categories where buying is optional and timing is loose. That is exactly where Big Lots has room to win. The chain already lives in a space where customers are open to surprises, but they still need a reason to stop, linger, and add one more item.

Big Lots can borrow the playbook in practical ways:

• Build a clear seasonal story around the front end, not just scattered markdowns.
• Use one visual anchor per event so the store feels intentional instead of crowded.
• Put impulse items near the theme so the customer can complete the idea in one trip.
• Rotate signage and featured tables quickly so the floor feels fresh and urgent.
• Give associates a simple line that explains why the product is here now and why it is worth buying today.

Those moves do not require luxury branding or a giant entertainment partnership. They require discipline. The goal is not to make the store feel expensive. The goal is to make it feel edited.

Why this matters on the sales floor

Associates know the difference between a floor that has a story and one that just has product. A themed event gives you a conversation starter, which makes it easier to help a shopper who is not walking in with a rigid list. It also helps when inventory is uneven, because the narrative can frame what is available as special rather than random.

That is important in discount retail, where customers often want reassurance that they are getting something timely and scarce. A clean theme can turn that uncertainty into urgency. When the customer feels both entertained and oriented, the store stops being a place to rummage and becomes a place to discover.

The broader retail lesson: attention is the scarce asset

Ulta’s Supergirl campaign underscores how modern retail is increasingly built around experiences and themes, not just shelf tags. That is not a gimmick. It is a response to how shoppers behave when they are overloaded with choice and short on patience. The stores that can tell the clearest story tend to get the most attention, and attention is what turns browsing into a basket.

For Big Lots, the takeaway is straightforward. You do not need a blockbuster budget to borrow the logic of a blockbuster tie-in. You need a floor that looks intentional, a message that makes sense fast, and enough urgency to make the customer buy now instead of later. In value retail, that combination can matter more than the brand behind the theme.