ULTA vs YUMC 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.

Yum China is the largest restaurant operator in China, with over 18,000 locations and USD 12 billion in systemwide sales as of 2025. It generates revenue primarily from its own restaurants and franchise fees. While KFC and Pizza Hut are its flagship brands, Yum China's portfolio also includes Little Sheep, Taco Bell, Huang Ji Huang, and Lavazza. As a trademark licensee of Yum Brands, Yum China pays 3% of KFC and Pizza Hut's systemwide sales to its former parent, from which it spun off in 2016. However, even before the separation, Yum China was granted substantial autonomy, giving its Chinese leadership decision-making authority over menu, supply chain, and marketing—an unusual practice for Western chains at the time.