According to The List's graph, Ulta and Sephora follow similar trends, almost identical in the peaks and valleys of their foot traffic results. However, Ulta's visitor counts are almost always a little bit higher than Sephora's. During 2020's holiday season, Sephora peaked at just over 50,000 visitors, while Ulta saw more than 80,000. Ulta was more popular again that following summer, with almost 20,000 more visitors than Sephora. Even when visitor counts drop, the graph illustrates that Ulta performs slightly higher than their competitor. The data clearly suggests, then, that shoppers prefer to visit Ulta over Sephora for their beauty needs.
With online shopping more popular than ever, brick and mortar stores have had to rethink their shopping experience to entice shoppers to visit in-person. Rethink Retail reports that shoppers want convenience and ease when shopping, so customer service is the main focus for most retailers. While Ulta and Sephora both offer similar rewards and services, Ulta wins out when it comes to approachability by carrying a wide variety of brands at different price points. Sephora's high-end brands can be intimidating to those who can't spend as much on luxury products, whereas Ulta's range of products and prices cater to shoppers with all types of budgets, allowing for a more diverse shopping experience than Sephora. While many enjoy Sephora's high-end luxury feel, Ulta's variety of affordable options attracts more shoppers each month.
