Target is continuing to expand its store-within-a-store concept with a new partnership with Ulta Beauty. The beauty retailer will begin selling its premium brands of cosmetics and fragrances in select Target stores starting next month.
The beauty shops will first roll out in more than 100 Target stores nationwide. The products will also be available online, with more than 50 specially curated prestige brands. The companies say they plan for these experiential “shop-in-shops” to ultimately have a presence in 800 Target locations in the U.S.
“Ulta Beauty at Target is unmatched in the industry, bringing guests the opportunity to discover new prestige brands while they shop Target’s incredible beauty assortment,” said Christina Hennington, executive vice president and chief growth officer at Target. “With two powerhouse retailers, our collective brand love, loyalty, and omnichannel expertise will inspire guests and raise the bar for the beauty shopping experience.”
Disney at Target
Target has taken this approach in the past. Disney previously opened Walt Disney Stores in 25 Target locations just in time for the 2019 holiday shopping season. The stores offered Target shoppers more than 450 items, including more than 100 products that previously could only be found at Disney’s stand-alone stores.
Target’s strategy appears to focus on turning its stores into a shopping experience that is similar to visiting a mall. Increasingly, a visit to a Target store also provides access to other popular brands.
In the case of Ulta Beauty, both retailers see it as a win-win. Target hopes the Ulta stores will attract new customers to its stores, while Ulta hopes to market to Target’s customer base.
Beauty expertise
In the shops, Ulta Beauty-trained team members will provide shoppers with beauty expertise and help them explore new products. Each “shop-in-shop” will be prominently placed near the existing Target beauty section and will feature specialized displays, discovery zones, and on-trend, seasonally relevant offerings.
Ulta Beauty operates nearly 1,200 stores in all 50 states. The company was founded in the early 1990s as Ulta Salon, Cosmetics and Fragrance, offering both high-end and drugstore cosmetics, skincare, and fragrances.
The company’s customer service gets mixed reviews at ConsumerAffairs, but Irene, of Eastvale, Calif., likes the product line and the fact that it’s available in one place.
“Their supply varies from inexpensive cosmetics to your higher-end supplies that you'd normally have to go to a department store to purchase,” she wrote in her review.