There are two large beauty retailers in the United States. Sephora and Ulta are many of our go-to beauty retailers that satisfy our beauty fixes. Would you pick one over the other? Hard choice, right? Now this may be a slightly biased battle of the beauty stores since I am employed with one of these retailers. Hey, I'm all about love not war...hehe! But, let’s jump into the battle of the beauty stores.
1. Products
Sephora:
Sephora a child of Luis Vuitton carries most luxury brands in cosmetics, hair care, and fragrance. Brand reps have events and provide services on specified dates. Mini makeovers require no appointment, and full makeovers are available by appointment only.
Ulta:
Ulta carries some luxury brands as well as drugstore brands. Ulta also includes a hair salon service counter and a brow service counter. Makeovers and hair services are by appointment only.
2. Pricing
Sephora:
Sephora is your definitely high end store. Many prices are above 20.00 USD for a single item. Sephora does have their own collection which includes more budget friendly options.
Ulta:
Since Ulta carries drugstore and high end products, the prices range is enormous. Ulta also has their own cosmetics line with budget friendly pricing. You can find retail prices as low as 3.99 USD.
3. Sales
Sephora :
Sephora does not have "sales" per say, but they do have a sale section which includes a large number of products. The products are updated daily.
Ulta:
Ulta has many sales. They have bogo sales for drugstore cosmetics, nail care, and haircare all the time. The sales differ each week and can be found in the store catalog or via email subscription. Ulta also has a sale section on their webpage stating all items on sale for that week.
4. Coupons
Sephora:
Sephora does two sales per year. The VIB sale is held in April and November of each year. The coupon varies from 10%-20% off. The discount applies to all merchandise.
Ulta:
Ulta has several coupons released during any given week. Most coupons found are 3.50 USD off of 10.00 to 15.00 USD or 20% off. The coupons for Ulta do not usually include prestige brands, which are most of the high end brands. Every so often, the coupons are able to be applied to all purchases.
5. Rewards/Membership
Sephora:
Sephora has a rewards program called Beauty Insider. There are three tiers to the program. A beauty insider (BI) spends less than 350.00 USD per calendar year. A very important beauty insider (VIB) spends over 350.00 USD per calendar year but less than 1,000.00 USD. Rouge members spend over 1,000 USD per calendar year. All members have access to the same rewards gifts which are deluxe samples of different products. The number or products and size vary based on the number of points in your bank. Each dollar spent earns one point. There are opportunities to get 3x, 4x, etc. during special occasions. Your do not expire. All members receive a free birthday gift. VIB and Rouge members do receive early access, complimentary makeovers, free access to makeup classes at select stores, and additional 10% coupons. Rouge members also get free two day shipping, which is a 10.99 charge for a yearly subscription of two day shipping for all other members.
Ulta:
Ulta has a Perks program. Each dollar earns you one point in your bank. There are opportunities to get 3x, 4x, etc. These points offer dollar amounts off of your purchase. Yes, actual money off! Now, these points do expire after a certain amount of time. Platinum members spend over 450.00 USD a calendar year. All members receive a free birthday gift. Platinum members receive early access and additional coupons.
6. Returns
Sephora:
Sephora has an awesome return policy. You can return just about anything with no questions asked. You must have at least 75% of your product remaining and packaging and/or receipt. You have 90 days to return an item for a refund and after that store credit or exchange is available. You also have the option of looking up a purchase with your rewards card.
Ulta:
Ulta has a 60 day return policy. I must admit that they are not as welcoming of returning products as Sephora. Items with no receipt or rewards card will be issued store credit.
So, this is just a breakdown of some similarities and differences and what each store offers. Do you have a favorite? I still get benefits from both stores, so it is too hard for me to choose. Lately, Ulta seems to have more exclusive releases than Sephora. So, I have been hopping from one store to the next. Does this post sway you to one store or the other? Stay FABULOUS!
No comments:
Post a Comment