Ulta Beauty UB Media: the beauty retail media network, explained

Ulta's loyalty programme is the core of UB Media. At launch in 2022 the programme, then called Ultamate Rewards, had 37 million members (Ulta Beauty, 19 May 2022). By fiscal 2025 year-end it had 46.7 million active members, up 5% (Ulta Q4 FY2025 call, 12 March 2026). Because members identify themselves to earn points, Ulta can see repeat buying in skin care, hair, fragrance and make-up across both mass and prestige brands.

Ulta sells both mass and prestige brands, so one network reaches drugstore and luxury buyers. The UB Media page calls its 46 million-plus members "the largest group of beauty lovers in the industry" (company claim, Ulta, accessed 9 November 2026). For a brand, that means audiences defined by beauty behaviour, such as lapsed fragrance buyers, rather than by broad demographics.

The second difference is a new source of advertisers. UB Marketplace opened on 14 October 2025, powered by Mirakl and open by invitation only (Ulta Beauty, 14 October 2025). By Q2 fiscal 2026 it carried more than 450 brands and 12,000 SKUs. Ulta said more marketplace brands now use UB Media to build awareness and sales. Small brands that arrive through the marketplace need media to be found, so the two businesses feed each other. Our marketplace retail media guide explains that pattern.

Onsite. Sponsored products launched with UB Media in 2022, and onsite display followed the same year. Criteo publishes a case in which a prestige fragrance brand ran always-on sponsored placements on Ulta's website. Ulta also works with Rokt, which serves offers after checkout (Digital Commerce 360, 9 December 2025).

Offsite. UB Media launched with offsite display, video, social and influencer campaigns using loyalty audiences. In fiscal 2025 it added connected TV and streaming audio, which Ulta said drove incremental ad revenue (Ulta Q4 FY2025 call, 12 March 2026).

In-store. Ulta has not described in-store media as part of UB Media. Its stores matter mainly as a data source for the loyalty programme.

UB Media builds audiences from Ulta Beauty Rewards data, covering online and in-store purchases. Ulta says it uses this data to predict replenishment and to personalise offers. The same signals shape ad audiences.

Brands receive audiences and campaign insights, not member files. Ulta has not published whether it offers a clean room for brands to match their own data.

Since launch, brand partners have received closed-loop, campaign-level reports with audience and creative insights (Ulta Beauty, 19 May 2022). In 2026 Ulta added a YouTube enhanced measurement product. Clinique used it to measure brand-level sales and saw higher return on ad spend than in other video channels (company claim, Ulta Q1 FY2026 call, 2 June 2026).

Ulta has not published an incrementality method, an accreditation or third-party verification. See retail media measurement standards explained for the benchmarks to request.

1. Talk to your Ulta merchant and the UB Media team. Media plans usually sit alongside the brand's merchandising plan.
2. Secure onsite search first. Sponsored products on your own product pages and category searches are the core buy.
3. Add loyalty audiences offsite. Use display, video and social to reach lapsed or high-value Ulta Beauty Rewards members.
4. Test CTV or streaming audio for launches. Ask how exposure is tied back to sales.
5. Agree measurement before launch. Confirm attribution windows and whether YouTube enhanced measurement applies.

It suits:

• cosmetics, skin care, hair care and fragrance brands sold at Ulta;
• emerging brands entering through UB Marketplace;
• prestige brands that want reach among frequent beauty buyers.

It suits less:

• brands outside beauty and wellness;
• advertisers who need a documented self-serve tool or API;
• buyers who want in-store screens.

• UB Media revenue for any period; Ulta reports growth rates only.
• Whether a self-serve platform is available directly from Ulta.
• Minimum spend and rate cards.
• Whether UB Media sells media for Space NK, the UK beauty retailer Ulta now owns.
• The date of the Criteo case study.

1. Ulta Beauty, "Ulta Beauty Launches Retail Media Network, UB Media" (19 May 2022). https://www.ulta.com/investor/news-events/press-releases/detail/150/ulta-beauty-launches-retail-media-network-ub-media
2. Ulta Beauty, "UB Media" company page (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.ulta.com/company/ubmedia
3. Ulta Beauty, "Ulta Beauty Launches UB Marketplace, Expanding Choice and Discovery Across Beauty and Wellness" (14 October 2025). https://www.ulta.com/investor/news-events/press-releases/detail/216/ulta-beauty-launches-ub-marketplace-expanding-choice-and
4. Ulta Beauty, "Ulta Beauty Announces Second Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results" (27 August 2026). https://www.ulta.com/investor/news-events/press-releases/detail/234/ulta-beauty-announces-second-quarter-fiscal-2026-results
5. Ulta Beauty, Q4 fiscal 2025 earnings call (12 March 2026), transcript by The Motley Fool. https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/03/12/ulta-beauty-ulta-q4-2025-earnings-transcript/
6. Ulta Beauty, Q1 fiscal 2026 earnings call (2 June 2026), transcript by The Motley Fool. https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/06/03/ulta-beauty-ulta-q1-2026-earnings-transcript/
7. Ulta Beauty, Q2 fiscal 2026 earnings call (27 August 2026), transcript by The Motley Fool. https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/08/31/ulta-beauty-ulta-q2-2026-earnings-call-transcript/
8. Criteo, "An always-on campaign helped a prestige fragrance brand achieve strong sales at Ulta Beauty" (undated, accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.criteo.com/success-stories/ulta-beauty/
9. Digital Commerce 360, "Walgreens adopts Rokt for retail media network expansion" (9 December 2025). https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2025/12/09/walgreens-adopts-rokt-for-retail-media-network-expansion/