Deep DiveHead-to-Head in Beauty Retailing: Sephora vs. Ulta Beauty Madhav Pitaliya, Analyst Sector Lead: Anand Kumar, Associate Director of Retail Research January 15, 2026 Reasons to ReadUnderstand how two beauty giants are reshaping the $85 billion US beauty retail market through diverging strategies and innovations. Read this report to discover answers to these and other questions: Who is winning in the battle of scale vs. productivity between Ulta Beauty and Sephora? How do Ulta’s domestic strength and Sephora’s global reach shape their competitive positions? Why does Ulta dominate foot traffic while Sephora leads in sales efficiency? What digital innovations and omnichannel strategies are setting each brand apart? How do Ulta and Sephora differ in their core customer demographics and loyalty program strengths? Companies mentioned in this report include: Amazon, Bath & Body Works, Bluemercury, E.l.f. Beauty, Glossier, Kohl’s, LVMH, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Sally Beauty, Sephora, Target, The Body Shop, Ulta Beauty, Walgreens Boots Alliance. Data in this report include: US beauty market size and growth rates; revenue and store performance comparisons; monthly foot traffic trends; e-commerce penetration and digital engagement metrics; sales per store and per square foot; shopper demographics by age and income. Already a subscriber? Log in You are currently viewing a preview of this report. Please select an access option to view the full report. Hide Options - Show Options + Get unlimited access to all our research with one of our subscription plans. View Subscription Plans or Contact us to purchase this report. Contact us ✕ This document was generated for Other research you may be interested in: Resilience Now: Turn Tariff Uncertainty into Opportunity Using AIAnalyst Corner: Controversy Persists Around Price Gouging with Electronic Shelf Labels, with John HarmonSentiment Dives, Tariff Pessimism Deepens, Reactive Shopping Entrenches: US Consumer Survey InsightsRolling Metric Improves This Week: Weekly US Consumer Sentiment, Week 41, 2025—Data Graphic
