A Glasses Company is Replacing Ulta in Minnesota Target Stores

It was announced about two weeks ago that Ulta Beauty will no longer be in Target stores throughout Minnesota (and the rest of the US) by August 2026.

READ MORE: Why Ulta is Leaving Target Stores Across Minnesota

But all of these Target stores with the Ulta's inside built this nice area just for that. So what's going to happen to all of that space?

I thought maybe Target was thinking about expanding their makeup section more, since it sounds like they want to focus on selling more makeup and skin care products, but a different plan seems to be in the works.

Target Partnering with Warby Parker

Target has announced that they are partnering with Warby Parker for store-in-store shopping. This is the same partnership that Target entered into with Ulta 4 years ago.

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Warby Parker is an eyewear company whose goal is to offer glasses at a more affordable price than other retailers.

Even though some of Warby Parker's frames are over $100, that's super cheap compared to the eye clinic you go to. I was glasses shopping not too long ago, and all of the glasses they had at my eye doctor were well over $200 just for the frames. Don't get me started on the cost for the lenses and everything else that goes with that.

On their 'Our Story' section, Warby Parker writes:

We're constantly asking ourselves how we can do more and make a greater impact—and that starts by reimagining everything that a company and industry can be. We want to demonstrate that a business can scale, be profitable, and do good in the world—without charging a premium for it. And we've learned that it takes creativity, empathy, and innovation to achieve that goal.

While Target doesn't explicitly say that Warby Parker is going in the former Ulta spots in-store, because the partnership is the same, I would bet that's what's going on.

Minnesota Target Location Adding Warby Parker

In Target's partnership announcement, they say that 5 Target stores across the US will be getting a Warby Parker by the end of this year. I'm guessing that means these stores do not already have an Ulta because Target's Ulta locations don't close until August 2026.

One of those 5 locations, though, is in Minnesota, and that's the Target location in Bloomington off of 494.

Target writes, "Additional shop-in-shops are slated to open in 2026, with the opportunity for more in the coming years." Again, they don't specifically say that Warby Parker is replacing Ulta, but that seems to be what's implied.