Formerly | Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. (1990–2017) |
---|---|
Company type | Public |
Founded | 1990 | (as Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc.)
Founders |
|
Headquarters | , U.S. |
Number of locations | 1,385 (2024) |
Key people | Dave Kimbell (CEO) |
Revenue | US$11.2 billion (2023) |
US$1.68 billion (2023) | |
US$1.29 billion (2023) | |
Total assets | US$5.71 billion (2023) |
Total equity | US$2.28 billion (2023) |
Number of employees | 56,000 (2024) |
Website | ulta |
Footnotes /references Financials as of February 3,2024 [update] . [1] |
Ulta Beauty, Inc., formerly known as Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. and before 2000 as Ulta3, is an American chain of cosmetic stores headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois. [2] Ulta Beauty carries both high-end and low-end cosmetics, fragrances, nail products, bath and body products, beauty tools and haircare products. Each location has a beauty salon available to the public.
Ulta was founded by Richard E. George, the former President of Osco Drug, Inc., and Terry Hanson. George left work at Osco in 1989 in order to develop a business plan for a retailer that would offer beauty products at different price levels. [3] Other Osco executives joined George and Hanson in the business and raised $11.5 million in venture capital. The company, initially called Ulta3, was launched in 1990, with five stores in Chicago suburbs. The name was changed from Ulta3 to Ulta at the end of 1999. [3] [4]
George left Ulta3 in 1995, and Hanson became the company's Chief Executive Officer. [4] In December 1999, Lyn Kirby became the President and chief executive officer and Charles "Rick" Weber became Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. On October 25, 2007, the company became publicly traded on the NASDAQ. [5]
In 2008, the company opened a second distribution center in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2010, Carl "Chuck" Rubin was appointed as Chief Operating Officer, President, and as a member of the board of directors. [6]
On June 24, 2013, it was announced that Mary Dillon would be appointed as chief executive officer and a member of the Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2013. [7] Dillon was previously the chief of U.S. Cellular and a senior executive at McDonald's and PepsiCo. [8]
In 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic there were 44,000 employees. [9] As of 2021, Ulta employs approximately 37,000 people. [10]
Ulta Beauty only operates in its domestic American market. As of January 28, 2023, Ulta had some 1,355 stores across all 50 states with about 250 of those stores located inside Target stores. [11] Ulta Beauty had 168 retail locations across California, the highest number of any state. [12]
Ulta Beauty offers both high-end and drugstore cosmetics, skincare, and fragrances, in addition to its own brands of beauty products and fragrances. They sell brands such as MAC Cosmetics, [13] Kylie Cosmetics, [14] and ColourPop cosmetics. [15]
Ulta Beauty sales were $713.8 million for the first quarter ending in May 2014. [16] At the end of the second quarter ending in August 2014, Ulta Beauty reported that total sales increased by 22.2 percent and comparable store sales increased 9.8 percent. [17] [18]
As of 2019, Ulta had stores in 48 states. [19] A majority of Ulta Beauty stores are located in the East Coast region and in California. [20]
In August 2021, the retail chain Target started selling Ulta's products. [21]
Ulta joined the 15 Percent Pledge, which dedicates more store shelf space to Black-owned businesses. [22]
On July 8, 2022, Ulta announced its collaboration with Allure to bring a collection of its 25,000 products to Allure’s online and offline stores. The collaboration ran from July to September 2022, and included brands such as Fenty Beauty, Drybar, Olaplex, Tula, The Ordinary, Peter Thomas Roth, CosRX, NYX, Morphe, and Beekman 1802 selected by Ulta's merchandising team. [23] [24]
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is an American multinational cosmetics company, a manufacturer and marketer of makeup, skincare, perfume, and hair care products, based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is the second largest cosmetics company in the world after L'Oréal. The company owns a diverse portfolio of brands, including La Mer, Jo Malone London, Clinique and Tom Ford Beauty, among many more, distributed internationally through both digital commerce and retail channels.
SuperValu, Inc., was an American wholesaler and retailer of grocery products. The company, formerly headquartered in the Minneapolis suburb of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, had been in business since 1926. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Natural Foods (UNFI).
Sephora is a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products, offering nearly 340 brands alongside its own private label, the Sephora Collection. Its product range includes cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, nail color, beauty tools, body lotions, and hair care items.
Shiseido Company, Limited is a Japanese multinational cosmetic company founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1872. Its product categories consist of: skin care, makeup, body care, hair care, and fragrances. The company is one of the oldest cosmetic companies in the world and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2022. It is the largest cosmetic firm in Japan and the fifth largest cosmetic company in the world. In Japan, Shiseido is available at cosmetic counters at selected department stores and most pharmacies. The company owns numerous brands and subsidiaries worldwide, in addition to its founding label. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, and is traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, where it is a constituent of the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX Large70 indices.
Coty Inc. is an American multinational beauty company founded in 1904 by François Coty. With its subsidiaries, it develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes fragrances, cosmetics, skin care, nail care, and both professional and retail hair care products. Coty owns around 40 brands as of 2024.
William Philip Lauder is an American billionaire businessman, and executive chairman of The Estée Lauder Companies, one of the world's leading manufacturers of skin care, make-up, fragrance and hair care products.
Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing, and beauty retailer. Founded in 1977 by Roy and Gaye Raymond, the company's five lingerie stores were sold to Les Wexner in 1982. Wexner rapidly expanded into American shopping malls, growing the company into 350 stores nationally with sales of $1 billion by the early 1990s, when Victoria's Secret became the largest lingerie retailer in the United States.
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. is an American cosmetics brand based in Oakland, California. It was founded by Joseph Shamah and Scott Vincent Borba in 2004. Items include bath and skin-care products, mineral-based makeup, professional tools, eyeliners, lipstick, glosses, blushes, bronzers, brushes, and mascara, among others.
Elizabeth Arden, Inc. is a major American cosmetics, skin care and fragrance company founded by Elizabeth Arden. As of September 7, 2016, the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Revlon, Inc.
The Honest Company, Inc. is an American digital-first consumer goods company, based in Los Angeles and founded by actress Jessica Alba, Christopher Gavigan, and Brian Lee. The company had $319 million in 2021 sales, and was valued at roughly $550 million as of February 2022. Chief Executive Officer Carla Vernón is one of the first Afro-Latina CEOs of a U.S. publicly traded company. The Honest Company has raised multiple rounds of venture capital, and went public via initial public offering in May 2021, generating over $100 million in capital. Honest serves the United States, China, Canada, and Europe.
FSN E-Commerce Ventures Ltd is an Indian cosmetics, personal care, skin care and perfume company, headquartered in Mumbai. It sells beauty, wellness and fashion products through its website, mobile app and over 100 physical stores. In 2020, it became the first Indian unicorn startup headed by a woman.
Kylie Cosmetics, LLC is an American cosmetics company founded by Kylie Jenner. The company began selling Kylie Lip Kits, a liquid lipstick and lip liner set, on November 30, 2015. Formerly known as Lip Kit by Kylie, the company was renamed Kylie Cosmetics in 2016.
Tarte Cosmetics is an American cosmetics company headquartered in New York City.
Beautycounter was an American direct to consumer and multi-level marketing company that sold skin care and cosmetic products. As of 2018, the company had 150 products with over 65,000 independent consultants, and with national retailers. In April 2021, Beautycounter was acquired by The Carlyle Group in a deal that valued the company at $1 billion. In March 2024, Carlyle wrote off its investment in the company and the company went into administration in April 2024.
Mary Dillon is an American businesswoman and CEO of Foot Locker. Dillon was the CEO of Ulta Beauty, a beauty retail company, from July 2013 until June 2021, when she became chair. She was global chief marketing officer and executive vice president of McDonald's from 2005 to 2010. Dillon was CEO and president of U.S. Cellular from 2010 to 2013. She is a non-executive director of Starbucks.
Bluemercury is a chain of American beauty stores founded in 1999 by Marla Malcolm Beck and Barry J. Beck in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. The stores sell cosmetics, as well as in-store facials and spa treatments. In addition to selling products from other brands, the company developed its own M-61 skincare line in 2012 and Lune+Aster make-up line in 2015.
ColourPop Cosmetics, also known as ColourPop, is an American cosmetics brand based in Los Angeles, California. The company was founded in 2014 by siblings Laura and John Nelson. ColourPop products are sold through their website, at Ulta Beauty, and at Target. They predominantly make products for the eyes, lips, and face.
Douglas GmbH is a German multinational perfumery and cosmetics chain. Its headquarters are located in Düsseldorf, Germany. The first perfumery to carry the name "Parfümerie Douglas" opened in Hamburg in 1910. Douglas GmbH was part of the Douglas Holding, but since 1 June 2015, 85 percent belong to the financial investor CVC Capital Partners and 15 percent to the Kreke family.
Rea Ann Silva is the creator of the Beauty blender makeup application sponge and the founder and CEO of the Beauty blender company. Silva created the sponge while working as a make-up artist for the Girlfriends television series. In 2019, her company's sales were expected to reach $215 million.
R.E.M. Beauty is a cosmetics brand by Ariana Grande, that was launched on November 12, 2021.