The Beauty Aisle, Redefined

In the Beauty department of the Mesquite, Texas, Walmart, Anabel Perez noticed a new mom pushing a stroller through the aisle while searching for under-eye cream. "She was clearly overwhelmed and tired." Instead of just pointing to a product, Anabel took the time to listen and guide her through the options. As she did this, Anabel realized the interaction was becoming something more: “I felt as if I helped her get a moment of rest she didn't know she needed, without her having to think. Sometimes beauty isn't about coverage. It's about care."

That small, human moment is at the heart of Anabel’s new role. Across the company, Walmart is investing in many new opportunities for associates to build fulfilling careers while helping customers feel more confident as they shop. For Anabel and a pioneering group in 22 pilot stores across Texas and Arkansas, this means turning a lifelong passion for beauty into a profession. They are the first to step into Walmart’s new Beauty Expert role, a new career path being piloted that empowers associates to provide professional, personal guidance to better serve our customers. As more customers seek a better beauty experience at an affordable price, these experts are the key to helping ensure the service feels just as premium as the store's elevated space and assortment.

💅🏼 Polishing Potential

But what does it take to share that kind of care with customers? For Beauty Experts, it meant stepping into one of our 200 Walmart Academy training facilities for immersive, specialized training.

The skills they learned spanned far past generic product overviews. Through courses such as Makeup 101 and Customer Engagement 101, they took the time to truly do a deep dive into the world of beauty. They learned the science behind skincare routines, the art of asking the right questions to understand what a customer truly needs and the techniques to help someone navigate a sea of over 7,000 products to find their perfect match. And the training doesn’t stop there! Beauty Experts will receive ongoing monthly and quarterly training materials focused on product knowledge, seasonal needs, customer engagement and top-trending items.

This deep expertise empowers associates to become leaders in ways that touch the entire store. Their commitment to the customer doesn’t stop in the Beauty aisles. They may also bring their knowledge to life by supporting store-wide Beauty events or becoming the problem-solver who makes sure customers can place a perfect online order. It’s about seeing the bigger picture and taking ownership of the promise to make every customer feel supported, transforming a simple shopping trip into a genuinely easy and enjoyable experience.

✨ A Palette of Possibility

By embracing this level of leadership, the Beauty Experts place themselves right at the center of this elevated culture of care. On the floor, they leverage their practical expertise to cultivate long-lasting relationships with customers, elevating a standard interaction into a true client consultation — from breaking down the science behind a skincare formulation or providing personalized advice to a customer looking for their exact foundation match. Through their dedication, these associates are innovating a new space for beauty expertise, proving that true luxury is found in those small, human moments of care.

So, what does this role really come down to? It’s about more than just a job; it’s about the joy of the craft. It's the fun of helping a customer find their new favorite lipstick and seeing them walk away with a smile. It's the pride an associate feels as they turn their passion into a profession, becoming a leader. And it's the proof that when you empower people with a career that is both fulfilling and fun, they don’t just create better experience, they spread confidence to everyone they meet.