Target has been trying its hardest to bring more shoppers to its stores.
The company is in the throes of a turnaround plan to offer customers a better selection of products, more organized stores, and a generally improved shopping experience.
And in that regard, there’s perhaps no better category to focus on than beauty.
The U.S. beauty industry is expected to reach more than $196 billion by 2033, according to Grand View Research. So it’s a smart play on Target’s part to introduce some big changes to the beauty category that are set to hit stores in September.
Target unveils new beauty experience
Target is launching Target Beauty Studio on Sept. 10 in more than 600 stores and on Target.com.
The move is one of the clearest examples yet of Target’s broader effort to reinvent its stores, sharpen its merchandise assortment, and make the shopping experience feel more distinctive.
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The new Beauty Studio will feature more than 1,600 products from 90 brands, with more than two-thirds of those brands new to Target. The assortment spans skin care, makeup, hair care, fragrance, and nails.
In addition to a broad assortment of products, Target Beauty Studio will feature dedicated Beauty Advisors, product-testing opportunities, and rotating displays intended to highlight new trends.
That approach is important because Target is trying to elevate beauty without abandoning the value and convenience that have traditionally defined the retailer.
“We’ll introduce Target Beauty Studio in more than 600 stores, creating a more elevated Beauty destination,” Chief Merchandising Officer Cara Sylvester said during Target’s second-quarter earnings call.
Beauty fits into Target’s much bigger overhaul
Target said beauty sales grew in the high single digits during the second quarter as the company prepared for the Beauty Studio launch. That makes September an optimal time to capitalize on a category that’s already showing momentum.
But the Beauty Studio launch isn’t happening in isolation.
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Target has spent much of 2026 reshaping its stores and merchandise. The company said it completed the largest volume of in-store transitions in more than a decade during the second quarter, including major changes to grocery and its Fun 101 categories.
More than 100 full-store remodels are underway, and the retailer is also opening new locations.
When Target laid out its broader strategy earlier this year, the company said it wants to put style, design, and value at the center of the shopping experience.
Beauty was specifically identified as an area for greater investment, including more premium and emerging brands and an enhanced service model.
Target and Ulta ended their shop-in-shop arrangement in August 2026, leaving Target to build its own next-generation beauty strategy. And now, the company is on a mission to prove it can thrive in that category without Ulta’s help.
A smart call on Target’s part
All told, Target’s decision to go all-in on beauty is a wise one.
“Beauty is a smart category for Target to lean into during a turnaround because it can drive traffic, discovery, and repeat visits without requiring the kind of big-ticket commitment that makes shoppers hesitate,” said RTM Nexus CEO Dominick Miserandino.
However, he cautioned, Target will need to execute on this strategy properly for it to succeed.
“Target has to make the assortment feel differentiated enough to create excitement while also making the overall store experience more reliable,” Miserandino said. “A beauty launch can help change the conversation, but it has to be part of a broader improvement in why consumers choose Target in the first place.”
Maurie Backman owns shares of Target.
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