Target and Ulta team up for the ultimate beauty shopping experience

Target is one of the longest-standing retailers that is working to expand more service to customers by bringing in services from other companies to improve the customer shopping experience. A couple of years ago Target decided to outsource their pharmacy services in a partnership with CVS Pharmacy and another partnership with Shipt rather than building their own infrastructure to offer a fast delivery service.

Target will be partnering with the beauty retailer Ulta to offer a new beauty shopping experience at the superstore chain across the country. Ulta will be opening skincare and makeup “ship-in-shops” inside existing Target locations across the U.S. dedicating 1,000 square feet for the new Ulta locations.

It’s the beginning of a beauty-ful partnership. We’re teaming up with @ultabeauty to launch a new, immersive beauty experience inside select Target stores and at https://t.co/XamWhSvpXQ. Get a VIP look at the plans: https://t.co/42xPFsFoLx pic.twitter.com/wFviVmfksB

— Target News (@TargetNews) November 10, 2020

The new Ulta beauty sections will be staffed with Target employees trained by Ulta to provide a similar experience at the beauty retailer. This ambitious plan will take some time to achieve, Target CEO Brian Cornell disclosed that Target will have the Ulta beauty section starting by the second half of next year in more than 100 Target stores and online.

Each Ulta “shop-in-shop” location will feature more than 40 beauty brands with an assortment of nearly every beauty product imaginable. Customers also have the option to use the Target same-day services including home delivery by Shipt or curbside pickup for online beauty purchases.

The announcement resulted in a rise in share prices of 6% for Ulta and 2% for Target. It remains unclear how long this partnership will last but both companies hope to promote beauty sales in more Target locations while expanding Ulta locations.

(Photo: Jazmin Quaynor)

Both companies are relying on loyalty program members including Target’s 100 million and Ulta’s 33 million customers. This new partnership will also provide an affordable location expansion with an added benefit of more frequent customers.