Target and Ulta Beauty have announced a strategic long-term partnership to launch a shop-in-shop concept, dubbed Ulta Beauty at Target, that will offer both established and emerging prestige brands online and in select Target locations nationwide beginning next year.
Ulta Beauty at Target will debut at more than 100 Target locations starting in 2021, with plans to scale to hundreds more over time. The shop-in-shops will complement Ulta Beauty’s current store footprint, welcoming new guests to the brand and building on Target’s existing assortment of beauty options.
“In partnership with Ulta Beauty, a company that shares our deep guest focus, we are able to expand our growing beauty business with new, exciting brands, an immersive experience, and loyalty benefits to transform how our guests shop for all their beauty needs,” said Brian Cornell, Chairman and CEO of Target in statement.
The distinctive branded shop-in-shops will operate as an extension of the Ulta Beauty experience, mirroring the retailers’ existing stores, with approximately 1,000 square feet of retail space and prominent locations next to existing Target beauty sections.
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Ulta Beauty will train newly hired Target team members to serve as experts on prestige beauty offerings, aligning with Target’s focus on providing guest service with deep product expertise. The shop-in-shops are expected to include Ulta Beauty’s immersive in-store digital discovery tools such as GLAMLab, a virtual try-on tool that provides safe trial across beauty categories.
Guests who shop Ulta Beauty at Target online will get free shipping for qualifying orders as well as Target’s same-day fulfillment services — Drive Up, Order Pickup and Shipt same-day delivery — at participating store locations. The online experience on Target.com and the Target app will reflect the look and feel of the Ulta Beauty experience, which aims to provide an immersive, engaging way to find beauty favorites and new products. The Ulta Beauty at Target assortment will be available on Target.com and in select stores in the second half of 2021.
“This is yet another meaningful example of the creativity the larger brick-and-mortar players are utilizing in their efforts to ensure increased store and website traffic,” said Charlie O’Shea, Vice President at Moody’s in comments provided to Retail TouchPoints.
Together, the two retailers have more than 100 million active loyalty program members across Target Circle and Ultamate Rewards. In addition to bringing guests enhanced offerings and expertise, the partnership will seek to create compelling, integrated opportunities to harness the power of these loyal guests and reward them when they shop at Ulta Beauty at Target.
“Ulta Beauty at Target reflects further evolution in our omnichannel strategy, rooted in unlocking the potential of our physical and digital footprints, creating more seamless shopping opportunities for our loyal guests and continuing to lead the beauty industry. More than ever before, now is the time for innovation in retail,” said Mary Dillon, CEO of Ulta Beauty in a statement. “This partnership is an amazing way to further reimagine guest experiences with a partner who shares our company values. We are thrilled to bring our beauty expertise, unparalleled assortment and digital innovation to life in a new channel to delight and deepen loyalty with our existing guests and introduce Ulta Beauty to new guests.”
