$ULTA

Reuters reports retailers are using AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini to capture shopping traffic while trying to keep purchases on their own sites to retain customer data. Walmart, Ulta Beauty and Wayfair have updated websites for chatbot rankings. Ulta said Gemini/ChatGPT referrals show double conversion and intent. Juniper and Adobe Analytics estimate $8B in AI-driven retail spend and higher revenue per AI-referred visit.

Ulta Beauty said its five-year Target partnership will end in August, with Target replacing 600 Ulta mini-stores with Target Beauty Studios. Ulta will close the mini-stores by August but keep standalone stores in Michigan. Ulta also announced a limited-time collaboration with Pacsun, launching July 28 in Pacsun and expanding Aug. 6 to stores and online.

TARGET customers will lose out on a popular benefit in just days. The change comes as the retail giant ends a partnership with another brand that has lasted for five years. Since August 2021, Ulta Beauty products have been available for Target customers to purchase in-store and online. More than 600 Target stores nationwide have 1,000-square-foot cosmetics sections featuring selections for makeup, skincare, haircare, and body care, along with exceedingly popular fragrance minis.

After the 2025 breakup between Target and Ulta Beauty – “one of retail’s highest-profile beauty partnerships,” according to The Street – Ulta has announced a new partnership. “Ulta Beauty is partnering with Pacsun on an exclusive fashion-and-beauty collaboration that will be available online and in stores at both retailers for a limited time,” the article said. The move comes as Ulta has experienced a period of market share losses.

BofA reiterated a Buy rating on Ulta Beauty (ULTA) and set a $685 price target, citing potential revenue recapture as Target shop-in-shop GMV shifts back to Ulta. The firm estimates $650M in prior GMV and models 20% to 60% recapture adding $130M to $390M revenue, starting Q3 2026, with 100 to 315 bps annual growth impact.

HigherDOSE, maker of red-light facial masks and infrared body mats, is expanding into more than 400 Ulta stores with a 22-product launch. Smaller items will be sold in-store and larger devices online, while Ulta employees will receive training to educate customers. HigherDOSE products are already sold at Sephora, Nordstrom and Amazon.

Beacon Wellness Brands’ plusOne sexual wellness products, including vibrators and pheromone-inspired perfume oils, are launching in Ulta Beauty’s Wellness by Ulta Beauty areas, according to Ulta and Beacon. Ulta said the move supports evolving guest needs. The sexual wellness market is cited as $108B in 2025, projected to $274B by 2035 (Emergen Research).

Ulta Beauty launched its Canopy Wellness lineup, including the Solstice Aroma Kit with a bedside humidifier and aromatherapy scents Sunlit and Moonlit, plus a sound and aroma machine and a filtering showerhead. Ulta also expanded its online assortment with an air purifier, bath tub filter, and multiple showerheads and replacement filters.

Ulta Beauty will launch Good Day by Patchology on July 27, placing the clinical-grade skincare line in the wellness aisle rather than skincare. Ulta said skincare and wellness grew to 24% of fiscal 2025 sales and it added nearly 30 wellness brands. The brand’s products target skin barrier health and mood via a proprietary ingredient, according to Ulta and Patchology.

Ulta Beauty will begin carrying a curated selection of Bath & Body Works products in about 600 of its U.S. locations starting July 12, 2026, according to statements by Bath & Body Works and Ulta executives. The article lists specific Bath & Body Works items and notes pricing has not been addressed. Products will also be available online on Ulta’s website.