One of the most recent milestones in the company's journey, which GCI magazine attended, was the Oct. 15, 2008, grand opening of Ulta's first multilevel storefront on State Street, a historic shopping area in downtown Chicago that is experiencing resurgence in popularity. With Ulta's corporate headquarters located only 30 miles away in Bolingbrook, Illinois, the nearby urban debut will become Ulta's four-tiered prototype—the first of its kind—offering a more interactive consumer experience and more than 21,000 prestige, mass and salon SKUs of varied price points. According to Ulta's president and CEO, Lyn Kirby, who presented her long-term growth plan during an October 15th luncheon for brand vendors and bankers at the Palmer House Hilton, Ulta aims to become the one-stop shop for all consumers' beauty needs. "Our passion is esthetics, escape, education and entertainment—the core of our consumer experience," Kirby said, "and what is getting us through this tough economy."