Ulta Motives

Kecia Steelman
Historically, brands enter Ulta only after their multiyear exclusivity with Sephora has expired, but that dynamic might change as Ulta beefs up its global operation. Photo: Katie Jones/WWD/Getty Images
Rachel Strugatz
July 30, 2025

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Sephora, LVMH’s retail beauty juggernaut with 3,000 stores in some 35 countries, has been the place to debut your beauty brand for decades. And given the spate of recent high-profile brands about to launch—from Hailey Bieber’s Rhode to haircare from “The Rachel” creator Chris McMillan—that remains an irrevocable truth. Sure, makeup and skincare sales are generally softening, but Sephora has generally been immune to the challenges facing parentco LVMH’s Perfumes & Cosmetics division. In fact, LVMH executives recently praised Sephora’s profit and revenue performance from the first half of the year, specifically citing Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East as regions seeing “robust growth.”