Cosmetics store chain Ulta Beauty is expanding, with plans to open its stores inside of more than 100 Target locations nationwide, according to Reuters. Ulta Beauty, which has more than 1,200 of its own stores, will be housed next to Target’s beauty section and on Target’s website beginning next year. The two companies are now in the process of determining which Target stores will get Ulta first.
“It will be showstopping,” ULTA CEO Mary Dillon said of the new locations. “Target guests will not miss it. They will see that something new is happening, and I think they’ll want to jump in and participate.”
Ulta primarily sells makeup as well as hair and skincare products. Each of the Ulta locations in Target will take up about 1,000 square feet, and they will be staffed by Target employees who are trained by Ulta, according to CNBC. Target currently has almost 1,900 stores.
Each Ulta “shop-in-shop” will sell more than 40 beauty brands. As a result of the pandemic, there will also be added items to Ulta’s displays, including a virtual tool called GlamLab. It allows shoppers to safely try on makeup using a digital device without having to share lipstick tubes or eye shadow palettes with other customers.
Analysts say Ulta’s arrangement with Target should especially be beneficial for Ulta since that company has faced some hard times recently with store closures and beauty sales struggling as a result of the pandemic. Sephora made a similar arrangement 11 years ago with JCPenney.
