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The first quarter of 2026 draws a clear line between beauty retailers riding structural tailwinds and those navigating more mature, saturated markets.
In an economic environment where discretionary spending is under scrutiny, Ulta Beauty posted a 11.1% increase in sales to $3.2 billion in Q1 2026, while comparable sales grew 5.3%, a meaningful acceleration from the 2.9% comp posted in the same period last year.
Bath & Body Works reported Q1 2026 net sales of $1.38 billion, down 3.2% versus the same period last year. The US and Canada, which account for 95% of sales, fell 3.8%, while international markets grew 9%, a meaningful contrast that underscores how dependent the business remains on a domestic market where it is losing…