Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Stores Revenue Benchmarks
The average cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores business in the United States generates $4.6M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 8,347 cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores businesses in the U.S., employing 144,217 workers with an average profit margin of 4.0%.
What Does a Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Stores Business Actually Do?
Cosmetics retailers — Sephora, Ulta, Bluemercury — plus independent boutiques. Often bundle services (brows, makeup, blowouts).
Who buys: Women (majority) and men shopping for personal care and beauty.
Average Revenue
$4.6M
per year
Profit Margin
4.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$268K
per year
Total Businesses
8,347
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$185K
small business avg
Labor Cost
10.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
N/A
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
2.5
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Stores Charge?
Cosmetics retailers (Sephora, Ulta model) mark up 40–100% with beauty services boosting basket size.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Prestige cosmetics markup | 40–65% |
Mass cosmetics markup | 50–100% |
Fragrance markup | 50–100% |
Salon/service (per appointment) | $25–150 |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost of goods sold | $65 | $3.0M | Wholesale cost of merchandise purchased for resale. Retail's biggest expense. |
Wages & benefits | $10 | $463K | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $9 | $398K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $4 | $199K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $9 | $398K | Utilities, POS fees, shrinkage, insurance, store maintenance. |
Net profit | $4 | $185K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
5.26%
openings/year
Closure Rate
5.58%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+5.68%
annual
Businesses Closed
3,445
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Stores Business?
Startup Cost
$75K – $400K
Break-Even
15 months
5-Year Survival Rate
48.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores business do?
- Cosmetics retailers — Sephora, Ulta, Bluemercury — plus independent boutiques. Often bundle services (brows, makeup, blowouts). Women (majority) and men shopping for personal care and beauty.
- How much do cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores charge?
- Cosmetics retailers (Sephora, Ulta model) mark up 40–100% with beauty services boosting basket size. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores make per year?
- The average cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores business generates $4.6M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $185K per year at a 4.0% profit margin.
- How many cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores businesses are there in the US?
- There are 8,347 cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 144,217 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores business?
- Startup costs for a cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores business typically range from $75K to $400K, with a 5-year survival rate of 48.0%.
Industry Growth & Survival
The cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 5.7% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (5.3% entry vs 5.6% exit), indicating healthy demand.
Approximately 75% of cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 3,445 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume stores industry has declined 6% since 2000 (from 40,065 to 37,589 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Stores revenue with other industries: