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Retail media guide

The beauty retail event calendar

By Good Moose · Updated October 2026

The beauty retail calendar is the set of yearly sales events at Ulta, Sephora, Amazon, Target and Walmart that drive a large share of beauty sales. Brands that plan media, stock and creative weeks ahead of these events win the shelf. Brands that react on day one pay more for less.

Key takeaways

  • Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty typically runs in March to April, with a smaller fall event in September.
  • The Sephora Savings Event typically runs in April and late October to November, with discounts based on Beauty Insider tier.
  • Amazon Prime Day is typically in July and Prime Big Deal Days in early October.
  • Start planning six to eight weeks before each event.
  • Retailers set exact dates each year, so always confirm with your retail partner.

The calendar at a glance

When (typical)RetailerEventStart planning
JanuaryUlta BeautyGorgeous Hair Event (winter)November
March to AprilUlta Beauty21 Days of Beauty (spring)January
AprilSephoraSephora Savings Event (spring)February
SpringTargetTarget Circle Week (spring)Six to eight weeks ahead
MarchAmazonBig Spring SaleJanuary
JulyAmazonPrime DayMay
JulyTargetTarget Circle Week (summer)May
JulyWalmartWalmart DealsMay
AugustUlta BeautyGorgeous Hair Event (summer)June
SeptemberUlta Beauty21 Days of Beauty (smaller fall event)July
Early OctoberAmazonPrime Big Deal DaysAugust
OctoberTargetTarget Circle Week (fall)August
Late October to NovemberSephoraSephora Savings Event (fall)September
NovemberWalmartHoliday dealsSeptember
Friday and Monday after US ThanksgivingAll retailersBlack Friday and Cyber MondaySeptember
November to DecemberAll retailersHoliday gift sets and gifting seasonSummer, for gift set production

All timing is typical, not confirmed. Dates change year to year. Confirm dates with each retailer.

How to plan media around a retail event

  1. Six to eight weeks out: confirm promo slots, stock by market and hero products.
  2. Four weeks out: brief creative that names the retailer and the offer, and build audiences.
  3. Two weeks out: start offsite awareness on Meta, TikTok and YouTube in the markets with the most stores.
  4. During the event: shift budget daily toward the products and markets selling best, and watch stock.
  5. After the event: compare sales in markets with more and less support to read the real lift.

Put extra support where stores need it

Not every market needs the same push. Good Moose's planning tool, Good Moose Hub, maps media delivery against every retail location, so during an event we can send extra volume to stores that are behind and stop overspending where sales are already strong. Learn more about our retail media services, or read our guides to Ulta retail media and Sephora advertising.

Common questions

Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty typically runs in March to April, with a smaller fall event in September. Ulta announces exact dates each year.

The Sephora Savings Event typically runs in April and late October to November, with discounts based on Beauty Insider tier. Sephora confirms dates each year.

Start six to eight weeks ahead for stock and promo slots, four weeks ahead for creative, and about two weeks ahead for offsite awareness, so demand is building when the event opens.

Compare sales in markets that got more media with matched markets that got less. This separates the effect of the media from the effect of the discount itself.

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