How Ulta Managed To Keep Their Customers In Stores After COVID-19

The List’s graph, pictured above, maps out Ulta’s foot traffic trends over the past two years. With the exception of March and April of 2020, when COVID restrictions were first imposed and people were unable to shop for leisure, Ulta’s visitor count has remained steady. The graph does show a slight dip at the end of each month (presumably when consumers are waiting on paychecks), and a spike in visitors around the holiday season. 

During the pandemic, many indoor malls were unable to open due to safety restrictions, leaving retailers like Sephora, who mainly reside within them, struggling to recover amidst the lack of foot traffic (via The Business Journals). Most of Ulta’s stores are located in outdoor strip malls, allowing them to stay open with COVID guidelines in place while their competitors had to wait on indoor mall restrictions (via Retail Dive). 

Another reason for Ulta’s continued success during the summer of COVID could be due to their inventory: Visitors shopped while masked up and six feet apart, mainly to purchase hand sanitizers and self-care products that kept them safe and sane during lockdown, per Forbes. Amidst the aftermath of COVID, consumer shopping habits have changed; people are less willing to spend their money and are focusing on investing in their own-self care with things like travel, experiences, and personal products like clothes and skincare (via Verizon).

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