By Editorial TeamKey Takeaways
- With Ulta’s plan to top 1,300 stores by 2026, beauty startups have a massive channel for getting in front of customers and building a real brand presence.
- Ulta’s services are growing 12% year-over-year. This is a clear signal that people want in-store treatments, an opening for waxing brands to propose partnerships.
- A huge 60% of Ulta’s sales come from loyalty members, so getting your brand integrated into the Ultamate Rewards system is non-negotiable for locking in customers.
- Ulta is pushing hard into prestige beauty. This gives an edge to waxing brands that position themselves as a premium service with high-end, specialized products.
- Startups need a two-track plan: pitch your products for the shelves, but also pitch service collaborations inside the store, bringing consumer demand data for professional waxing to back it up.
Even with retail headwinds, Ulta Beauty posted a 10.2% jump in net sales for its fiscal year ending February 3, 2024. That kind of resilience and expansion is creating some very real opportunities for waxing brands and beauty startups. Their consistent growth shows this isn’t a company just getting by. It’s a powerful platform for any brand trying to make a mark.
Ulta’s Expanding Footprint: More Than 1,300 Stores Strong by 2026
Ulta’s aggressive push into physical retail is a core part of its strategy. They’re planning to open 25 to 30 new stores a year, aiming for well over 1,300 total locations by 2026. This expansion gives them deeper market penetration and makes them more accessible to consumers. For a waxing brand, this means more chances to connect with your target customer right where they shop. Think about the foot traffic. A recent Placer.ai report showed Ulta stores are often top performers in shopping centers, even beating department stores (Placer.ai, 2024). To me, the data is simple: being in a physical store still counts for a lot in beauty. Sure, e-commerce is important, but letting people see, touch, and engage with products in person is what closes the deal. For a waxing brand, this could mean getting your pre- and post-wax care line on their shelves or, thinking bigger, partnering up for in-store services. Can you imagine running a pop-up waxing station in a busy Ulta during the holidays? The brand exposure would be huge.
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Find a Wax Center Near You →Services Segment Growth: A 12% Annual Increase Signals Demand
The numbers on Ulta’s services, their salon, brow bar, and skin treatments, are impossible to ignore, with an average 12% year-over-year increase over the last two fiscal years (Ulta Beauty Investor Relations, 2024). This growth proves people want more than just products. They want professional treatments done right in the store, and they’re willing to pay for the convenience and expertise. This isn’t just some side note in their financials, it’s a major investment area for Ulta. That 12% figure is a blinking neon sign for any waxing brand. Ulta already has the service infrastructure, with dedicated rooms and trained staff in many stores. A smart waxing brand could come in and propose a partnership that uses Ulta’s footprint to introduce a high-quality waxing service, maybe with branded rooms, integrated products, or even specialized training for Ulta’s estheticians. The trick is to show them how your waxing service makes their store a better one-stop shop, not just another service that competes with what they already do.
The Power of Loyalty: 60% of Sales from Ultamate Rewards Members
The Ultamate Rewards program is the engine of Ulta’s entire business, responsible for an incredible 60% of their total sales (Ulta Beauty Investor Relations, 2024). That number is wild. The members aren’t just popping in for one thing. They’re dedicated beauty junkies who hunt for personalized deals and new product suggestions. For any startup, especially a waxing brand, getting plugged into this system is everything. A partnership with Ulta will mean you *have* to be part of Ultamate Rewards, offering points on services and using their customer data to find the right audience. You need to know the buying habits of members who already buy hair removal stuff. Getting access to that pre-vetted, super-engaged audience is a competitive advantage you just can’t get anywhere else. A well-integrated loyalty program is what separates a flash in the pan from a brand with staying power.
Prestige Beauty’s Ascent: A Strategic Focus for Ulta
Ulta has been leaning hard into prestige beauty, expanding its lineup of high-end skincare, makeup, and fragrance brands, and that segment is consistently growing faster than their mass-market stuff. This move mirrors what’s happening with shoppers everywhere: people are willing to pay more for premium products and services if they think they’re getting better results or a better experience. My advice for any waxing brand eyeing Ulta is to go in with a prestige positioning. This isn’t the place to pitch a cheap, quick wax. You need to focus on the quality of your aftercare ingredients, the skill of your estheticians, the comfort of the experience, and the long-term skin benefits. A brand that can clearly explain its value through better efficacy and premium ingredients will fit right into Ulta’s strategy and connect with their more demanding customers. That means showing up with your specialized hard wax formulas, your best soothing post-wax oils, and a real story about skin health.
The Disconnect: Overlooking the “Service” in Beauty Retail
Too many brands get tunnel vision when they think about retail partnerships, obsessing only over getting their products on Ulta’s shelves. While having your lotions and serums out there is great, this “product first” thinking completely misses the huge opportunity in Ulta’s booming services business. The data shows a growing hunger for in-store treatments, but brands aren’t thinking creatively about how to fit in. They’re stuck on selling a product instead of seeing the service itself *as* the product. For a waxing brand, this means you can’t just pitch your pre- and post-wax creams. You have to figure out how to offer the actual waxing service inside Ulta’s stores. Yes, it’s more complicated, you have to deal with logistics, staffing, and rules, but the payoff in brand recognition and revenue could be massive. The person coming in for a professional wax is exactly the kind of hardcore beauty fan Ulta wants. The real failure is not coming to the table with a smart service model that uses the stores and customers they already have. The key is to think past the shelf and figure out how to integrate a service that meets a proven demand.
What are the primary benefits for a waxing brand partnering with Ulta Beauty?
You get immediate access to a huge, loyal customer base through their stores and Ultamate Rewards program, you get to borrow from Ulta’s trusted name, and you gain a foothold in the fast-growing prestige beauty space.
How important is Ulta’s Ultamate Rewards program for a new brand?
It’s absolutely critical. The program drives about 60% of all sales, so integrating with it is your direct line to their best customers, encouraging repeat business and letting you target your marketing.
Can waxing brands offer services directly within Ulta stores?
Yes, there’s a big opportunity for that. It’s more complex than just selling products, but given the growth in Ulta’s own service offerings, a strategic partnership to set up branded waxing services inside their salons is definitely possible.
What kind of products should a waxing brand emphasize when approaching Ulta?
Focus on high-quality, specialized products for pre- and post-wax care that feel premium. Anything that highlights top-tier ingredients, tangible skin benefits, and an elevated experience will fit with Ulta’s push into the prestige market.
What is a common mistake beauty startups make when considering Ulta partnerships?
The biggest mistake is focusing only on getting products on the shelf. They completely forget about the giant opportunity in Ulta’s services business, missing out on a huge way to connect with customers and make money.
