ULTA vs EXPE Comparison

Ulta Beauty is the largest specialized beauty retailer in the US with about 1,500 freestanding stores. The firm offers cosmetics (39% of 2024 sales), fragrances (13%), skin care (23%), and hair care products (19%). It also has salon services, including hair, makeup, skin, and brow, that account for about 4% of its revenue and drive traffic. Outside of the US, Ulta acquired premium beauty retailer Space NK and its 83 stores in the UK and Ireland in 2025, is opening franchised stores in Mexico, and has formed a joint venture to expand into the Middle East. In addition, Ulta collects royalties through its Target partnership (set to end in 2026) and credit card revenue. Ulta was founded in 1990 and is based in Bolingbrook, Illinois.

Expedia is the world's second-largest online travel agency by bookings, offering services for lodging (80% of total 2024 sales), air tickets (3%), rental cars, cruises, in-destination, and other (10%), and advertising revenue (7%). Expedia operates a number of branded travel booking sites, but its three core online travel agency brands are Expedia, Hotels.com, and alternative accommodations brand Vrbo. It also has a metasearch brand, Trivago. Transaction fees for online bookings account for the bulk of sales and profits.