AI mentions in personal care and beauty favor established brands, but visibility can shift quickly with model updates. Our Q3 index tracks ChatGPT visibility across nine industry categories.

In August 2026, we analyzed 11,250 ChatGPT responses across 23 retail store categories to compile the AI Visibility Index.

Online marketplaces are taking a bigger share of ecommerce, but rising shopper expectations, tighter margins, and weaker customer relationships are reshaping the opportunity for brands and retailers.

Its Ulta launch comes as Chinese brands look beyond a weaker home market and seek broader global appeal.

Steady category gains are pressuring brands to compete on value, AI visibility, and evolving consumer needs.

AI recommendations are reshaping beauty and personal care discovery. In our Q2 2026 update, we track brand visibility, the sources shaping recommendations, and what it takes to stay competitive.

Dermatologist backing and retailer reach may matter more than ad budgets.

It's not just advertising that's shifting, younger consumers are actively seeking ways to disconnect from their devices and engage in physical experiences, prompting brands to rethink how they reach audiences. This surge reflects a broader cultural shift as Gen Z and Gen Alpha trade digital feeds for real-world connections.

At this week's CommerceNext Growth Show in New York City, executives from Ulta Beauty, Tapestry, Stitch Fix, and Novi shared how they're using AI to deepen customer relationships and why winning loyalty now means appealing to both consumers and the AI models guiding product discovery.

Bath & Body Works, Nordstrom, and Staples seek new shoppers through partnerships.

The marketplace is now the fourth-largest health and beauty ecommerce retailer in the US, forcing brands and retailers to adapt.

AI shopping features offered by ChatGPT, Google, and Microsoft Copilot are broadly similar, but there are variations in the overall experience worth noting. Marketers should know how these tools compare to invest in the right place.

Consumers’ value focus hasn’t diminished spending, Ulta says.

Social platforms want a bigger role in search ad budgets, but user habits lag behind. As search expands beyond traditional engines, these platforms must turn occasional behavior into intent-driven activity to grab ad dollars.

The platform’s ability to turn inspiration into sales is driving outsize growth and pushing rivals to invest in social commerce.

The retailer hopes to leverage TikTok’s beauty influence to drive sales and deepen connections with customers.

This FAQ explores the main types of loyalty programs and how retailers can use them to drive lasting customer relationships.

Smaller beauty brands are shaking up the retail space by achieving faster-growing sales than their big name competitors. Independently owned and operated brands with under $300 million in revenue, called "indie beauty brands" by NielsenIQ in a new report, are rising fast online and outpacing their conglomerate competitors in-store.

Brands from PepsiCo to Ulta are leaning on wellness framing to nudge cautious consumers to spend.