If you're planning a holiday makeup run, you'll need to adjust your schedule. All brick-and-mortar Ulta Beauty stores are closed nationwide on Thanksgiving Day. Retail locations shut their doors so employees can spend the holiday with their families, meaning you won't be able to pick up last-minute cosmetics or gifts in-store on Thursday.
Instead of opening for turkey-day doorbusters, the company pivots its major shopping events to online channels and early morning Black Friday hours. You can still shop digital sales from your couch on Thanksgiving, and physical stores resume normal or extended hours bright and early on Friday morning.
Navigating Ulta Holiday Schedules Around Thanksgiving
Planning your holiday beauty haul requires looking at the entire Thanksgiving week timeline. Physical stores maintain normal or slightly adjusted hours on the Wednesday before the holiday, go dark completely on Thursday, and reopen early for the Black Friday rush.
- The Day Before Thanksgiving: Stores operate on regular or slightly extended hours, typically closing around 9:00 PM or 10:00 PM depending on the specific location. It's your last chance for an in-person restock.
- Thanksgiving Day: Zero physical stores are open. Customer service phone lines are usually closed or limited, and salon services are unavailable.
- Black Friday: Doors swing open early—often as early as 6:00 AM—with extended closing times stretching until 10:00 PM to accommodate holiday shoppers.
Online Shopping Strategy on Thanksgiving Day
Even though physical storefronts are closed on Thanksgiving, the digital storefront never sleeps. Ulta's e-commerce platform stays active throughout the holiday, allowing you to browse and buy doorbuster deals, holiday gift sets, and everyday favorites online.
Major online promotions often kick off days before Thanksgiving, with digital-exclusive discounts going live earlier in the week. If you spot a high-demand palette, limited-edition fragrance, or viral skincare item on your wish list, buying it online on Thanksgiving morning is your safest bet to avoid sell-outs. Shipping cutoffs and curbside pickup options also play a vital role in your holiday strategy. While same-day curbside pickup pauses on Thanksgiving, you can place an order online on Thursday evening for pickup on Friday morning as soon as doors open.
Maximizing Savings During the Holiday Weekend
Scoring the best deals requires more than just knowing when the doors open. Smart shoppers combine loyalty perks, digital coupons, and promotional calendars to stretch their holiday budgets.
- Leverage the Ultamate Rewards Program: Make sure your account is active before the holiday rush begins so you earn points on every Thanksgiving week purchase.
- Stack Coupons Wisely: Check if standard manufacturer coupons apply to holiday sets, though exclusions frequently apply to prestige brands during major sale events.
- Use Virtual Try-On Tools: Utilize the Ulta Beauty digital app features like GLAMlab to test out makeup looks virtually before committing to holiday purchases.
- Monitor Early Access Windows: Sign up for email and SMS alerts to catch the exact minute online discounts go live, as popular inventory tends to deplete rapidly.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Holiday shopping brings unique stress, and small oversights can ruin your routine. Avoid these pitfalls when planning your Thanksgiving beauty purchases:
- Driving to a Brick-and-Mortar Store on Thursday: Don't waste gas or time expecting a local storefront to be open on Thanksgiving Day. Always verify via the Google Maps store locator if you have doubts about a specific franchise schedule.
- Waiting Until Friday Afternoon: If you prefer in-person shopping on Black Friday, arriving late in the day means dealing with depleted inventory shelves and heavy mall traffic. Hit the stores early during their morning opening slot.
- Ignoring Shipping Deadlines: Relying solely on standard holiday shipping can cause gifts to arrive late. Take advantage of buy-online-pickup-in-store options when available.
- Forgetting Reward Terms: Keep track of point expiration dates and redemption rules so you don't miss out on accumulated discounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I book a salon appointment at Ulta on Thanksgiving Day?
No. The full-service salons inside Ulta locations are closed whenever the retail store is closed, meaning no hair, skin, brow, or makeup services are available on Thanksgiving.
Are Ulta customer service representatives available on Thanksgiving?
Live phone support is generally offline or heavily restricted on Thanksgiving Day. For order inquiries or website issues, you will need to rely on automated support or wait until Friday morning.
When do Black Friday beauty deals start online?
Online promotions frequently launch several days prior to Thanksgiving, with major price drops often going live during the week or on Thanksgiving evening. Check the official Ulta Beauty Promotions page for exact timestamps.
Do holiday hours vary by store location?
While corporate mandates keep all standard retail locations closed on Thanksgiving, Black Friday opening and closing times can occasionally vary based on local mall regulations or regional shopping ordinances. Checking with your closest branch ahead of time prevents wasted trips.
