Ulta closes Space NK deal
Ulta has completed its acquisition of British prestige retailer Space NK, expanding the chain’s footprint beyond the U.S. and signalling a push into more curated premium beauty retail. The report also says Ulta is rolling out exclusive American access to Messi fragrances and investing in in-store e‑commerce fulfilment and order‑management capabilities. (simplywall.st)
Ulta Beauty has closed its purchase of Space NK, giving the United States retailer an immediate foothold in Britain’s prestige beauty market. (ulta.com) Ulta announced the deal on July 10, 2025, and said Space NK would keep operating as a standalone subsidiary with its existing management team. Ulta did not disclose financial terms. (ulta.com) Space NK brings 83 stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland, plus an online business built around premium and niche brands. Ulta’s investor site now lists Space NK as its international subsidiary. (ulta.com 1) (ulta.com 2) Ulta had already been pushing outside the United States through a joint venture in Mexico and a franchise partnership in the Middle East. The Space NK deal adds a full operating business in Europe instead of another licensed rollout. (ulta.com) (businesswire.com) The acquisition also fits Ulta’s push further into prestige beauty, a part of the market where Space NK has long traded on curation and exclusivity. Ulta said in 2025 that Space NK offered a “strategically compelling” entry into the growing United Kingdom market. (ulta.com) (digitalcommerce360.com) At home, Ulta is pairing that premium push with more logistics spending inside its store base. A company update reported this week said Ulta is expanding in-store e-commerce fulfillment and order-management capabilities across its network. (simplywall.st) Ulta’s own filings show the same direction of travel. The company spent $434.8 million in fiscal 2025 on new stores, remodels, information technology systems, and supply-chain optimization, and guided to $400 million to $450 million in capital spending for fiscal 2026. (ulta.com) (marketscreener.com) The brand mix is shifting too. A PR Newswire release said Messi Elixir Parfum Intense will launch exclusively at Ulta Beauty and Ulta Beauty Mexico on May 17, adding a celebrity fragrance exclusive to the retailer’s assortment. (prnewswire.com) Ulta ended fiscal 2025 with $12.39 billion in net sales, 5.4% comparable-sales growth, and more than 1,500 locations in the United States. Space NK gives it a new geography; the fulfillment and brand pushes show how Ulta is trying to make that expansion work on both sides of the Atlantic. (ulta.com 1) (ulta.com 2)
