ULTA vs LULU 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.

Lululemon Athletica designs, distributes, and markets athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men, and girls. The company offers pants, shorts, tops, and jackets for both leisure and athletic activities such as yoga and running. Lululemon also sells fitness accessories, such as bags, yoga mats, and equipment. It sells its products through digital channels, a small number of wholesale partners, more than 780 company-owned stores in about two dozen countries in North America, Asia, and Western Europe, and about 40 franchised locations in the Middle East and Europe. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.