Target is overhauling the beauty sections in more than 600 of its roughly 2,000 U.S. stores with a new in-house concept called Target Beauty Studio, a move that comes just weeks after the retailer parted ways with Ulta Beauty.
The launch brings over 1,600 products from 90 brands into dedicated beauty destinations staffed by Target employees called Beauty Advisors. More than two-thirds of those brands are new to Target's shelves, spanning skincare, haircare, fragrance, K-beauty cosmetics, and international labels from Mexico and France. Shoppers can test products in-store, a direct play for the kind of hands-on experience that once required a trip to a specialty retailer.
Target is betting it can replace what Ulta brought to the table and then some. The company announced Target Beauty Studio just a few short weeks after its partnership with Ulta Beauty ended, though Target has not disclosed the terms or reasons behind that split. The speed of the pivot suggests the retailer had this concept ready well before the breakup became official.
The product lineup reads like a deliberate bid for customers who shop at Sephora, Ulta, or niche online retailers. Skincare entries include Clearstem, First Aid Beauty, and Sunday Riley. Haircare brands such as Bondi Boost, Briogeo, Joico, and Nioxin fill out the shelves. K-beauty, the booming category of Korean cosmetics and skincare, gets dedicated space with brands like Amuse, Kaja, Rom&nd, Dr. Melaxin, Purito Seoul, and Sungboon Editor.
Target is also stocking international names: SARELLY, a Mexican beauty brand, and Manucurist, a French nailcare line. Fragrance options include Lake & Skye, Boy Smells, and Smooch. Suncare and self-tanning brands like Bask, Dune, Peta Jane Beauty, and Tan-Luxe round out the assortment.
The stores will rotate featured products through curated sections labeled "Editors' Picks," "Most Loved," and "Standouts of the Season", a merchandising strategy designed to keep repeat visitors finding something new.
Amanda Nusz, Target's senior vice president of merchandising, essentials, and beauty, laid out the thinking in a press release reported by The U.S. Sun:
"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."
Nusz added that the concept is meant to be "an inspiring destination to discover what's new, now and next in beauty" and called it "a powerful example of how our merchandising authority comes to life through an elevated guest experience."
Translation: Target wants to be the place where a shopper grabs her usual moisturizer and walks out with a Korean lip tint she didn't know existed. Whether that works depends on execution, specifically, whether the Beauty Advisors on the floor actually know the products and whether the in-store displays hold up week after week.
Target is marking the launch with an in-store celebration on September 26 from noon to 4 p.m. local time. The first 100 shoppers at the majority of Target stores will receive an exclusive Target Circle bonus, though the company has not said what that bonus entails. Select locations will offer additional giveaways.
Target Circle members, the retailer's free loyalty program, will also have access to exclusive offers and experiences tied to the Beauty Studio rollout, though again, specifics remain vague.
Several questions remain unanswered. Target has not identified which 600-plus stores are getting the Beauty Studio treatment, leaving shoppers to guess whether their local location made the cut. The company has not explained why its partnership with Ulta Beauty ended or what the terms of that separation looked like. And it has not clarified whether all 90 brands will be physically stocked in-store or whether some will be available only online.
The "mini product assortment" language in the press release hints that not every store will carry the full 1,600-product lineup. For shoppers in smaller markets, that could mean a watered-down version of the concept.
Target deserves credit for moving fast after losing Ulta. But stocking trendy brands and hiring Beauty Advisors is the easy part, the hard part is making 600 stores deliver a consistent experience that keeps customers coming back instead of clicking over to Amazon.