Brandwave

How popular isUlta Beauty?

In September 2026, people searched for Ulta Beauty by name about 8.2 million times in the United States, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 40.8% of all United States beauty retailer searches, placing Ulta Beauty first out of five retailers. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about beauty retailers, Ulta Beauty appeared in all answers and was the second most recommended of the five.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Ulta Beauty is the most searched of 5 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.

  1. Ulta BeautyShare of searches 40.8%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  2. SephoraShare of searches 30.5%Mentioned in 3 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  3. Bath & Body WorksShare of searches 16.7%Mentioned in 2 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  4. Sally BeautyShare of searches 11.2%Mentioned in 1 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  5. BluemercuryShare of searches 0.82%Mentioned in 1 of 3 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
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Top beauty retailers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, Ulta Beauty appeared in all three answers. Ulta Beauty is the second most recommended of the five.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Sephora1st
  2. Ulta Beauty2nd
  3. Bluemercury3rd
  4. Bath & Body Works4th
  5. Sally Beauty5th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

See every answer about beauty retailers

3 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.

Which beauty retailers compete with Ulta Beauty?

Ulta Beauty against beauty retailers in the United States, by month

Share of searches by month for Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Bath & Body Works, Sally Beauty. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthUlta BeautySephoraBath & Body WorksSally BeautyBluemercury
Oct 202539.4%29.5%19.7%10.8%0.65%
Nov 202534.9%31.2%25.6%7.7%0.69%
Dec 202535.6%29%29%5.9%0.53%
Jan 202641.6%31.2%17.1%9.3%0.84%
Feb 202639.4%29.4%19.7%10.8%0.79%
Mar 202640.8%30.5%16.7%11.2%0.82%
Apr 202637.9%38.1%14%9.3%0.69%
May 202640.8%30.5%16.7%11.2%0.82%
Jun 202636.8%27.5%22.5%12.3%0.91%
Jul 202638.6%31.7%17.4%11.6%0.7%
Aug 202639.4%29.5%19.7%10.8%0.65%
Sep 202640.8%30.5%16.7%11.2%0.82%

  1. 1.Ulta Beauty

    40.8%

    Held 1st. 8.2M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.4 points.

  2. 2.Sephora

    30.5%

    Held 2nd. 6.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1 points.

  3. 3.Bath & Body Works

    16.7%

    Held 3rd. 3.4M estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share -3 points.

  4. 4.Sally Beauty

    11.2%

    Held 4th. 2.2M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.

  5. 5.Bluemercury

    0.82%

    Held 5th. 165K estimated branded searches, +22.2% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

Compare popularity between Ulta Beauty and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Ulta Beauty

4 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Ulta Beauty changed in the United States over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Ulta Beauty in the United States held steady at 8.2M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ulta Beauty’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United States increased from 39.4% to 40.8%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ulta Beauty’s share of searches among beauty retailers in the United States peaked at 41.6% in January 2026 and was lowest at 34.9% in November 2025.

How did search popularity change for United States beauty retailers in September 2026?

4 changes

  1. In September 2026, Ulta Beauty gained share of searches among beauty retailers in the United States, from 39.4% to 40.8%.

  2. In September 2026, Sephora gained share of searches among beauty retailers in the United States, from 29.5% to 30.5%.

  3. In September 2026, Bath & Body Works lost share of searches among beauty retailers in the United States, from 19.7% to 16.7%.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for Bluemercury in the United States rose 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 135K to 165K in September 2026.

How are Ulta Beauty’s branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ulta Beauty’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • ulta
  • ulta beauty

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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