Ulta Beauty Launches Online Marketplace
On Tuesday, Ulta Beauty launched its new Amazon.com-style marketplace feature, UB Marketplace. Originally announced in March 2025, the marketplace, which is integrated into Ulta Beauty’s e-commerce site, has over 100 brands that were previously not carried in-store or online. UB Marketplace is designed to respond to customer demand for new products and categories as trending brands on TikTok quickly earn big sales on Amazon before they can reach retailers such as Ulta. The platform is invitation-only, prioritizing authenticity and avoiding resellers. All participating brands are required to ship from a U.S. address to ensure speed.
Total Retail's Take: As Amazon pushes further into the beauty category by spotlighting both emerging and high-end brands, established players in the space such as Ulta are taking steps to protect their market share. The launch of UB Marketplace speaks to that mindset. Separately, and no less important, UB Marketplace will allow Ulta to speed up the go-to-market process for new brands and products on its platform from weeks or months to now just days, enabling it to tap into consumer demand for viral trends and products being shared on social media.
“UB Marketplace allows us to deliver more newness, faster entry into emerging subcategories and trends, and deeper category authority — while keeping the guest experience unmistakably Ulta Beauty,” said Lauren Brindley, chief merchandising and digital officer at Ulta Beauty, in a company press release.
Joe Keenan is the editor-in-chief of Total Retail. Joe has nearly 20 years experience covering the retail industry, and enjoys profiling innovative companies and people in the space.
