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Sephora and Ulta Battle for the Big-Box Retail Market

As the future of beauty specialty retail remains uncertain, Sephora and Ulta are teaming up with giants like Targets and Kohl’s for security — and hopefully to attract some new customers.
Target, which has already revamped its beauty aisles at many stores, is adding Ulta shop-in-shops to the mix. | Source: Courtesy

In the space of a few years, buying makeup and skin care at your local department store or drugstore went from the norm to a relic. The primary cause: Sephora and Ulta Beauty, which opened thousands of stores across the US, dedicated spaces that sold brands at price points that appealed not just to the Macy’s customer, but to the Sears, Saks and CVS shoppers as well.

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