Ulta Beauty is expanding its delivery options amid increased competition from Amazon and other rivals in the beauty retail industry.
Amazon is the largest beauty retailer in the U.S., capturing an almost 23% share of beauty sales in the region in 2025, according to recent data from NielsenIQ. TikTok Shop has also become a fast-growing rival to Ulta Beauty, with its share of beauty sales increasing by 107.7% last year.
“We’re just seeing Amazon really take over what beauty means…. The big growth drivers of beauty retail have been Amazon and TikTok Shop,” said Anna Mayo, vice president of the beauty vertical at NIQ, in a statement to Beauty Independent in January.
To keep up with rising competition, over the past year, Ulta Beauty has expanded its focus on offering customers convenience, a strength of Amazon and other online rivals.
For example, in October, Ulta Beauty launched its online third-party marketplace, UB Marketplace, further expanding its beauty, hair care, wellness, fragrance, and skin care offerings.
Ulta Beauty adds new delivery option as competition intensifies
Now, the company is expanding its delivery options by partnering with Uber Eats to offer same-day and scheduled delivery, adding over 1,500 Ulta Beauty stores to the app, according to a May press release.
Customers can now order skin care, makeup, fragrance, hair care, styling tools, and devices from over 600 brands across Ulta Beauty’s product assortment.
“Consumers today are looking for both variety and flexibility when it comes to shopping for beauty products,” said Hashim Amin, head of grocery and retail for Uber in North America, in the press release.
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“Our partnership with Ulta Beauty makes it easier for customers to discover and shop a wide range of beauty products, all delivered directly to their door,” he added.
The move from Ulta Beauty comes after it partnered with Instacart in January last year to offer customers same-day delivery from over 1,400 stores, with deliveries as fast as an hour.
The company also previously partnered with DoorDash in 2021 to introduce this same service and later expanded it in 2024.
Ulta Beauty leans into shifting consumer expectations with delivery
Not only does Ulta’s Uber Eats partnership challenge Amazon and other online competitors, but it also follows in the footsteps of Sephora, another top rival.
In 2022, Sephora partnered with DoorDash to offer same-day delivery of its products, and in 2025, it made the same move with Uber Eats.
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Many consumers nationwide are increasingly expecting fast and flexible delivery, as it has become a major driver of customer loyalty, according to a recent survey from delivery and fulfillment platform Bringg.
U.S. consumer delivery expectations in retail:
- Approximately 41% of U.S. consumers consider delivery promises across retailers before shopping, highlighting that delivery influences brand choice.
- Also, 61% will abandon their online shopping carts when delivery isn’t flexible.
- About 63% of consumers value real-time tracking and updates when it comes to delivery
- At least 40% value same-day or next-day delivery options and the control of flexible scheduling.
- Roughly 65% said positive delivery experiences are enough to encourage them to purchase from a retailer again.
Source: Bringg
“In the Delivery Economy, delivery is no longer an operational detail — it’s a leadership decision,” said Bringg CEO Guy Bloch in a LinkedIn post discussing the survey. “Customers don’t leave because of price or product. They leave when the delivery experience breaks the promise.”
Ulta Beauty’s big bet on delivery comes as it is facing increased consumer demand. In the first quarter of 2026, its comparable sales increased by 5.3% year over year, according to its latest earnings report.
“Growth in the beauty category remains healthy, even as consumers are increasingly value-focused,” said Ulta Beauty CEO Kecia Steelman during an earnings call on June 3.
She also said that the growing e-commerce momentum contributed to “robust sales performance” during the quarter, as more consumers seek convenience in their shopping experience.
“The sustained strength of our e-commerce channel is powered by the investments we’ve made over the last several years to elevate our infrastructure and the ongoing enhancements we’re continuing to roll out, like expanded same-day delivery options through Uber Eats and new Buy Now, Pay Later options through Klarna to improve functionality, expand convenience and improve the guest experience,” said Steelman.
“The convenience of buy anywhere, fill anywhere capabilities, including Buy Online Pickup in Store, have been a key driver of our e-commerce growth and of our strong guest satisfaction metrics.”
