Ulta Becomes $11 Billion Beauty Behemoth by Conquering Suburbs

Ulta is by some measures the largest beauty retailer in the country—yes, larger than Sephora—but it sometimes seems to hide in plain sight, with its stores primarily populating suburban and exurban shopping centers instead of thriving high-end malls and pricey urban shopping districts. But even at 3 p.m. on a Tuesday, customers just keep swinging open the doors. The beauty giant is on track to open its 1,500th store—not a grand flagship, but another normal outpost. Bloomberg Businessweek Senior Reporter Amanda Mull joins Bloomberg Businessweek Daily to discuss the story, which is the December Businessweek cover. She speaks with Carol Massar and Tm Stenovec. (Source: Bloomberg)