🛍️ Piqki — Retail Buyer Strategy

Who to target, when to approach, and what to have ready

Research by Max · Feb 2026 · n=22 sources
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⚡ Bottom Line

Don't approach specialty retail (Ulta/Sephora) before 12 months of DTC proof. The pattern across every successful press-on nail brand is identical: DTC → brand and community traction → retail. Glamnetic had 500K+ Instagram followers and 1.5M units sold before expanding to 2,000 retail doors. Olive & June built years of DTC trust before entering Ulta in Jan 2026.

Minimum viable track record before a specialty retailer conversation: ~$500K–$1M DTC revenue, 100+ reviews, 25K+ engaged social following, and a defined hero product. Confidence: Low — inferred from case studies, no retailer publishes hard minimums.

Piqki roadmap: Build DTC proof through launch (May 2026). Attend Cosmoprof North America July 2026 for buyer relationship-building. Target a first retail conversation Q1–Q2 2027 if metrics support it. Ulta is the strongest long-term fit; Target is a viable parallel track.

Retailer Tiers — Ranked by Piqki Fit

Confidence: Medium — Traffic estimates from GlobalGrowthInsights, Wikipedia (Ulta), Technavio; press-on presence from firsthand retailer sites and BoF/WWD reporting.

Retailer Press-On Presence Entry Path Piqki Fit Priority
Ulta Beauty
40M monthly visitors, 1,400+ stores		 Glamnetic (50 SKUs, 1,200+ doors), imPRESS, Static Nails, Digi Portal + warm intro + UB Marketplace (new) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tier 1 — Y2
Target
190M monthly visits, 1,900+ stores		 Olive & June, Glamnetic, imPRESS Supplier Intake Form + warm intro to Beauty buyer ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tier 1 — Y2
Urban Outfitters
Trend-forward, 600+ stores		 Chillhouse Chill Tips, Shrine (small assortment) No public portal — LinkedIn or industry intro ⭐⭐⭐ Tier 2 — Y2
Sephora
30M+ loyalty members, 700+ US stores		 Glamnetic in limited doors Warm intro / broker / Accelerate (BIPOC only) ⭐⭐⭐ Tier 2 — Y3
Anthropologie
200+ stores, lifestyle shopper		 Small beauty section, not press-on focused Curated buyer relationship ⭐⭐ Tier 3
Walmart
240M+ weekly shoppers		 imPRESS, Glamnetic, Olive & June Retail Link portal ⭐ Tier 3 / skip

Submission Processes

Sephora

Confidence: High — n=4 sources: BoF, Beauty Packaging, Sephora Newsroom, Retail Dive.

No cold portal. Sephora does not maintain an open vendor submission form. Brands get in via:

  1. Warm introduction — A retail broker or investor with Sephora buyer relationships. BoF (Feb 2025): "Kelly St. John, a retail veteran with more than 20 years experience, now offers a retail brokerage service where she pitches up-and-coming brands to her contacts at top beauty retailers."
  2. Sephora Accelerate Program — Annual incubator for BIPOC founders only. 8 brands per cohort; 50%+ from 2021–2023 cohorts are now in Sephora. Applications open Spring 2026.
    eligibility check required — is Gin a BIPOC founder? If yes, this is the highest-leverage path into Sephora.
  3. Social media cold outreach — Some founders have DM'd Sephora merchants on LinkedIn. Low-probability but possible with viral proof.
  4. Trade shows — Cosmoprof NA. Best warm intro opportunity.

Key buyer need (BoF, Cassie Cowman): "You have to pitch not just your product, traction and the velocity you can bring, but also a brand story they can get behind."

Ulta Beauty

Confidence: High — n=4 sources: ulta.com, BoF, Beauty Independent, cosmeticsdesign.com.

  1. Official Merchandising Portal — ulta.com/company/merchandising. Ulta explicitly invites brand submissions. Recommended starting point.
  2. UB Marketplace (new, Oct 2025) — Curated online-first marketplace for brands not yet in stores. Quote from Chief Merchandising Officer Lauren Brindley: "Allows us to deliver more newness, faster entry into emerging subcategories." Potentially accessible before full store placement — strong Piqki Y2 opportunity.
  3. Warm introduction — Still most reliable. Apothekary got in via investor → Nike connection → Ulta intro.

What Ulta looks like for press-ons today: Glamnetic grew from 32 to 46 SKUs across 1,200+ doors over three years. Digi launched at 450 Ulta doors Jan 2025. The category is mature — Piqki needs a differentiated story.

Target

Confidence: Medium — n=3 sources: corporate.target.com, royallabs.com, Retail MBA.

  1. Supplier Intake Form — corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/responsible-supply-chains/suppliers/supplier-intake-form. Target's official front door for new vendors.
  2. Buyer direct outreach — Beauty and Personal Care buyer team at HQ in Minneapolis. Founders recommend calling corporate to get buyer names, then following up with a sample.
  3. Trade shows + ECRM — Target buyers attend Cosmoprof NA and ECRM. Pre-scheduled 20-min appointments make this the most efficient path.
"We launched at Target first, which was reverse from the way a lot of beauty brands do it. We launched at mass before going into beauty retail, because that's where the vast majority of the nail consumer lived." — Sarah Gibson Tuttle, Olive & June (Forbes, Jan 2026)

Others

Urban Outfitters: No public submission form. Currently carries Chillhouse Chill Tips and Shrine. Approach via LinkedIn or industry intro. Note: Reddit reports UO selling press-ons at $5 — may be a price mismatch for Piqki premium.

Walmart: Retail Link portal. High volume required, commoditized pricing. Not recommended for Piqki's premium positioning.

Anthropologie: Small beauty section, not a press-on destination. Low priority.

What Buyers Want to See

Confidence: Medium — n=5 sources: BoF, Beauty Independent, Apothekary case study, Chillhouse BoF profile, royallabs.com. No retailer publishes hard minimums.

"Real purchasing customers with lifetime value, who you know haven't just responded to one viral moment… otherwise for the retailer, it's just a share shift." — Thomas Smith, Skin At Work (BoF, Feb 2025)
RequirementWhat It Means for PiqkiConfidence
Hero product1–3 standout SKUs — don't show 40 designs, show the 3 that stop scrollingHigh
Replenishable productPress-ons are inherently replenishable — Piqki has this naturallyHigh
White space narrativeWhy does the category need Piqki? What isn't Glamnetic/Olive & June doing?High (need exists)
Social proofReviews (100+), UGC, follower count with engagement rate (not vanity)Medium
Sell-through velocityEvidence that customers come back, not just buy onceMedium
Supply chain readinessCan you fulfill 500-unit minimums across 50 doors?High
Cash reservesRetail requires 60–90 day payment terms — you ship first, get paid laterHigh
Marketing commitment"Brands without a marketing machine… become one-hit wonders." (BoF)High
Estimated revenue threshold~$500K–$1M DTC before specialty retail approachLow — inferred
What is Piqki's specific white space claim vs. Glamnetic and Olive & June? Buyers will ask this in the first 60 seconds. The answer needs to be locked before any retail conversation.

Trade Shows Worth Attending

Confidence: High — n=4 sources: cosmoprofnorthamerica.com, stackinfluence.com, ecrm.marketgate.com, WWD.

ShowWhenWhereValue for PiqkiPriority
Cosmoprof North America July 13–15, 2026 Las Vegas All major US retail buyers + press + investors. Best single show for nail/beauty buyer relationships. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Top
ECRM — Skin, Bath, Cosmetics June 2025 / June 2026 est. Various Pre-scheduled 20-min 1:1 buyer meetings. Most efficient format — every appointment is opted-in. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Top
Cosmoprof Miami Jan 2027 Miami Secondary show after Las Vegas; more international buyers. ⭐⭐⭐
Indie Beauty Expo Varies (NYC, LA) TBD Good for brand awareness and press; buyer concentration lower than Cosmoprof. ⭐⭐⭐
Cosmoprof Bologna March 26–29, 2026 Bologna, Italy World's largest B2B beauty show. Too early + expensive for Piqki in Y1. ⭐ Skip Y1

Recommendation: Attend (not exhibit) Cosmoprof North America Las Vegas, July 2026 — two months after launch. Enough time to have early DTC proof in hand. Use it for buyer introductions, not a full pitch.

trade show budget decision — exhibiting vs. attending; and whether ECRM fees fit the Y1 plan.

Retail Pitch Deck: What to Include

Confidence: Medium — n=3 sources: BoF, Viktori pitch deck guide, royallabs.com. Retail buyer pitch is distinct from investor pitch.

Rule: Buyers don't care about your equity story. They care whether your product will sell, and whether you'll make them look good on the shelf.

Recommended structure (10–12 slides):

  1. Brand cover — Name, tagline, hero product image. First impression = visual. Don't cram.
  2. The problem / white space — Why does this category need Piqki? Back with search data or trend evidence.
  3. The product — 1–3 hero SKUs. Price, size range, application time, differentiator.
  4. The customer — Who she is. Where she shops. Real customer LTV if available.
  5. Proof of demand — DTC revenue, reviews, sell-through rate, social following, press mentions. Do not fake or inflate.
  6. Social/digital proof — TikTok views, creator UGC, engagement rate.
  7. Retailer opportunity — Why this retailer. White space in their current assortment. How Piqki fills a gap Glamnetic and Olive & June don't.
  8. Marketing plan — What you'll do to drive traffic to shelf. Without this, buyers say no.
  9. Financials for the buyer — MSRP, cost, gross margin (target 50–60%+ for specialty), MOQ, payment terms.
  10. Operations — Lead time, replenishment cycle, distribution capability (3PL or in-house).
  11. The ask — Be specific. "We're asking for 50 doors with 3 SKUs as a test." Buyers respect specificity.
  12. Contact + next steps

What kills pitches: Vague brand stories. No velocity data. Founders who can't name their gross margin. Products that duplicate what's already on shelf.

Timeline: DTC → First Retail Conversation

Confidence: Medium — n=4 sources: BoF, Beauty Independent, Olive & June / Glamnetic case studies, royallabs.com.

May 2026         → Piqki launches DTC
Months 1–6       → Build DTC proof: reviews, revenue, repeat purchasers, creator UGC
July 2026        → Attend Cosmoprof NA Las Vegas — begin buyer conversations (not pitching, relationship-building)
Months 6–12      → UB Marketplace (Ulta digital) as potential soft retail entry
Q1 2027          → First formal retail pitch IF metrics justify it
Months 12–18     → Buyer review, negotiation, contract
Months 18–24     → Purchase orders, planogram placement, on-shelf date

First meeting ≠ full proposal

The first meeting is an intro. Goal: leave samples, get buyer's direct contact, establish follow-up. The ask is: "Can we check back in 90 days with our Q3 sell-through data?"

Full deal involves:

Cash reality: 60–90 day payment terms are standard. A $50K initial order means $50K of working capital tied up for 2–3 months.

when to raise or secure working capital for retail expansion — needs to go into the financial model before any deal is signed.

Case Studies

Glamnetic

Confidence: High — n=3 sources: Modern Retail (Jun 2023), Beauty Independent (Jan 2025), BoF.

Lesson for Piqki: The "fast fashion of nails" positioning is already claimed by Glamnetic. Piqki needs a distinct white space claim before approaching the same buyers. But Glamnetic proves that nail-focused DTC brands can reach Ulta scale with social proof + velocity data.

Olive & June

Confidence: High — n=3 sources: Forbes (Jan 2026), Retail Dive (Nov 2024), Glossy (Oct 2024).

Lesson for Piqki: Target-first is a valid playbook for nail brands. Mass volume before specialty prestige. Also: the $240M acquisition is evidence of what this category can be worth.

Chillhouse

Confidence: Medium — n=2 sources: BoF (Nov 2023), WWD (Jan 2026).

Lesson for Piqki: DTC aesthetic identity opened doors at trend-forward retailers (UO) that raw product performance alone wouldn't. Brand story is a retail distribution asset.

Apothekary (non-nail — entry path lesson)

Confidence: High for process — n=1 source: BoF (Feb 2025).

Lesson for Piqki: The warm intro chain is real and doesn't need to be a direct industry contact. Any credible network connection into Ulta's buyer team is worth pursuing.

who in Gin's existing network could make a warm intro to Ulta or Target Beauty buyer teams?

Open Questions / Gin Decides

  1. What is Piqki's white space claim vs. Glamnetic and Olive & June? Buyers will ask this in the first 60 seconds. Not ready to answer = not ready for retail.
  2. Premium vs. mass positioning at retail? Olive & June went Target-first. Piqki could too — but at what price point does the retail margin math work?
  3. Retail broker budget? Hiring a broker (e.g., Kelly St. John's firm) is most justified when you have traction. When is the right time?
  4. Sephora Accelerate eligibility? If Gin qualifies as a BIPOC founder, check sephoraaccelerate.com in March 2026 — applications open Spring 2026.
  5. UB Marketplace (Ulta) as Y2 test? Soft digital launch into Ulta's ecosystem before stores. Worth applying after 6 months of DTC data.
  6. Working capital for retail? 60–90 day payment terms mean capital tied up before revenue. Flag for financial model update and/or Lena meeting.
  7. Trade show budget? Cosmoprof NA July 2026 (Las Vegas) is the highest-value first show. Attending vs. exhibiting is a budget decision.

Sources

  1. "How to Get Into — And Stay In — Sephora" — Business of Fashion, Feb 2025
  2. "Inside Glamnetic's 'Fast-Fashion' Approach to Press-On Nails" — Modern Retail, Jun 2023
  3. "Glamnetic Founders Launch Digi as Ulta Beauty Exclusive" — Beauty Independent, Jan 2025
  4. "Ulta Beauty Braces for a Challenging 2025" — Business of Fashion, Mar 2025
  5. "Olive & June Enters Ulta Beauty" — Forbes, Jan 2026
  6. "Olive & June Acquired by Hydro Flask Owner for $240M" — Retail Dive, Nov 2024
  7. "Olive & June Builds on DIY Nails Trend" — Glossy, Oct 2024
  8. "Chillhouse Enters Strategic Partnership with Kiss Beauty Group" — WWD, Jan 2026
  9. "The Brands Driving the Post-Pandemic At-Home Nail Boom" — BoF, Nov 2023
  10. "Sephora Opens Applications For Its 2025 Accelerate Program" — Sephora Newsroom, Oct 2025
  11. "Sephora's 2025 Accelerate Program: Decade of Impact" — Sephora Newsroom, Oct 2025
  12. "Sephora announces 2025 Accelerate cohort" — Retail Dive, Dec 2024
  13. Ulta Beauty Merchandising Portal — ulta.com/company/merchandising
  14. Target Supplier Intake Form — corporate.target.com
  15. "Beyond the Aisle: Getting Your Brand Into Target" — Royal Labs Natural Cosmetics
  16. Cosmoprof North America — cosmoprofnorthamerica.com (July 13–15, 2026)
  17. ECRM Beauty Programs — ecrm.marketgate.com
  18. "Beauty Conventions in 2025–2026" — Stack Influence, Oct 2025
  19. "Cosmoprof Bologna 2026" — WWD, Nov 2025
  20. "Ulta Beauty Launches UB Marketplace" — Cosmetics Design, Oct 2025
  21. "Is DTC Dead? Not To Emerging Beauty Brands" — Beauty Independent, Feb 2025
  22. Urban Outfitters press-on selection — urbanoutfitters.com + Reddit r/PressonNail_Addict, Feb 2025

✅ QC Sign-Off

Reviewed by Max QC · Feb 2026

✅ Analyst standards: n= and confidence on every finding, named sources throughout

✅ Completeness: All 7 research questions answered; open questions listed explicitly

✅ Documentation: Markdown + HTML + hub card + mission control complete

✅ Brand accuracy: Piqki spelled correctly; no brand voice copy in research doc

✅ Approval boundaries: No external actions taken; all retailer approach decisions flagged as "Gin decides"

✅ Data integrity: Case study numbers sourced and dated; revenue threshold estimates labeled Low confidence

⚠️ Note: $500K–$1M revenue threshold is inferred from case study patterns, not from retailer published policy — appropriately labeled Low confidence throughout

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