Target is rolling out a new in-store beauty concept called Target Beauty Studio across more than 600 locations nationwide, replacing a shop-in-shop deal with Ulta Beauty that the retailer quietly ended this month.
The Minneapolis-based chain announced the launch for September 10, when shoppers at participating stores and on Target.com will find a revamped beauty section carrying roughly 1,600 products from 90 prestige, emerging, and international brands. More than two-thirds of those brands will be new to Target's shelves, a significant bet for a company that operates over 2,000 U.S. stores and is framing the move as part of a broader push to return to growth.
The timing matters. Target's partnership with Ulta Beauty, which launched in August 2021, ended this month. Rather than renew that arrangement or seek another outside partner, Target chose to build its own concept from scratch, a decision that puts the company's merchandising judgment on the line.
Target Beauty Studio is not a simple shelf reset. The concept includes dedicated beauty advisers stationed in participating stores, product-testing stations, a miniature product assortment so customers can try before committing to full-size purchases, and a central rotating display that will be updated several times a year to spotlight brands, collaborations, and seasonal products.
Amanda Nusz, Target's Senior Vice President of Merchandising, Essentials and Beauty, framed the concept as a response to how customers actually shop the category:
"When guests shop for beauty, they want to pick up their standbys while also exploring what's new and trending, and Target Beauty Studio is designed with that mix in mind. It's an inspiring destination to discover what's new, now and next in beauty, and a powerful example of how our merchandising authority comes to life through an elevated guest experience."
That language, "merchandising authority," "elevated guest experience", is corporate-speak for a straightforward idea: Target wants to compete with specialty beauty retailers on their own turf, inside a big-box store. Whether the company can pull that off without the brand credibility Ulta brought to the partnership remains an open question.
The brand roster leans heavily on prestige skincare names like Sunday Riley and First Aid Beauty, haircare lines including Briogeo and Nioxin, and a cluster of Korean beauty brands, Amuse, Kaja, and Rom&nd among them. A Mexican beauty company called SARELLY and French nail care brand Manucurist round out the international mix. Target is clearly chasing the consumer who browses Sephora or Ulta but might prefer the convenience of a one-stop Target run.
Target is tying the Beauty Studio launch directly to its Target Circle loyalty program, promising exclusive offers and experiences for members. A promotional event on September 26 will offer the first 100 guests at most participating stores a Target Circle bonus, a move designed to develop foot traffic and social media buzz around the new concept.
The retailer has replaced its Ulta partnership with a fully proprietary concept, which gives Target complete control over pricing, brand selection, and the in-store experience. That control cuts both ways. If the assortment resonates, Target captures margin it previously shared with Ulta. If shoppers shrug, the company owns the failure outright.
Target described the Beauty Studio as "one example of the investments it is making in merchandise and the in-store shopping experience as part of its plans to return to growth." That phrasing acknowledges, without dwelling on it, that Target has been looking for ways to reverse sluggish performance. Beauty, a high-margin, high-traffic category, is a logical place to start.
Launching in more than 600 stores simultaneously is an aggressive rollout. Target has not disclosed which specific regions or cities will carry the concept at launch, how many beauty advisers it plans to deploy, or what financial targets it has set for the program. Those gaps make it difficult to judge whether this is a carefully staged pilot or a company-wide gamble.
The end of the Ulta shop-in-shop deal also raises a question Target has not publicly answered: why did the partnership end? Ulta brought established credibility in prestige beauty. Walking away from that, or being walked away from, suggests either strategic disagreement, financial friction, or a calculated belief that Target can do better alone.
Target's stock sat at $164.76 at the time of the announcement, up modestly at $0.99, or 0.60 percent. Wall Street's initial reaction was a shrug, not a cheer.
The retailer has faced its share of public controversies in recent years, from product pulls over consumer backlash to political pressure campaigns. Through it all, Target has tried to thread the needle between mass-market appeal and cultural trendiness, a balance that gets harder to maintain every year.
For a company that still offers shoppers a five-cent discount for bringing a reusable bag, the Beauty Studio launch represents a different scale of investment entirely. Dedicated staff, curated displays, rotating showcases, and a 1,600-product assortment cost real money. The question is whether Target's core shoppers, families looking for value and convenience, will treat their local store like a beauty destination, or keep heading to the specialists.
Meanwhile, boycott threats from activist groups have reminded Target that every strategic decision now carries political risk. Beauty may seem like safe commercial ground, but in today's retail environment, nothing stays apolitical for long.
Target is betting it knows its customers better than Ulta did. September 10 will start to show whether that confidence is earned or wishful.