Labor and talent
73 of 521 companies added a paragraph in Risk Factors that uses one of these words:
labor shortage, labor union, labor unions, unionized, collective bargaining, key personnel, attract and retain.
The paragraph is in the latest 10-K and nothing like it was in the one before.
It counts text; it does not say how serious a risk is. Words in capitals only (such as AI) must be in capitals.
By sector
Sector is the SEC's industry description of the company. Each count opens that sector's quotes below.
| Sector | Companies | Compared |
|---|---|---|
| Air Courier Services | 1 | 1 |
| Farm Machinery & Equipment | 1 | 1 |
| Food and Kindred Products | 1 | 1 |
| Meat Packing Plants | 1 | 1 |
| Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment | 1 | 1 |
| Miscellaneous Manufacturing Industries | 1 | 1 |
| Paper Mills | 1 | 1 |
| Real Estate Operators (No Developers) & Lessors | 1 | 1 |
| Retail-Retail Stores, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management | 1 | 1 |
| Services-Management Services | 1 | 1 |
| Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Railroads, Line-Haul Operating | 2 | 3 |
| Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys | 2 | 4 |
| Computer Peripheral Equipment, NEC | 1 | 2 |
| Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware | 1 | 2 |
| Mining & Quarrying of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) | 1 | 2 |
| Printed Circuit Boards | 1 | 2 |
| Rubber & Plastics Footwear | 1 | 2 |
| Services-Medical Laboratories | 1 | 2 |
| Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products | 1 | 2 |
| Finance Services | 12 | 28 |
| Beverages | 2 | 5 |
| Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies | 2 | 5 |
| General Industrial Machinery & Equipment | 1 | 3 |
| Measuring & Controlling Devices, NEC | 1 | 3 |
| Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations | 1 | 3 |
| Water Transportation | 1 | 3 |
| Pharmaceutical Preparations | 3 | 11 |
| Investment Advice | 2 | 8 |
| Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) | 1 | 4 |
| Motor Vehicles & Passenger Car Bodies | 1 | 4 |
| Retail-Eating Places | 1 | 4 |
| Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services | 1 | 4 |
| Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation | 1 | 4 |
| Semiconductors & Related Devices | 3 | 15 |
| Biological Products, (No Diagnostic Substances) | 1 | 5 |
| Computer Storage Devices | 1 | 5 |
| Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. | 1 | 5 |
| National Commercial Banks | 2 | 11 |
| State Commercial Banks | 1 | 6 |
| Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas | 1 | 7 |
| Electric Services | 2 | 15 |
| Services-Business Services, NEC | 2 | 16 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts | 3 | 27 |
| Services-Prepackaged Software | 2 | 19 |
| Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus | 1 | 10 |
119 paragraphs · Retail-Retail Stores, NEC show all sectors
Although none of our associates are currently covered under collective bargaining agreements, we cannot guarantee that our associates will not elect to be represented by labor unions in the future. If some or all of our workforce were to become unionized and collectively bargained terms were significantly different from our current compensation arrangements or work practice, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Read in the 10-K filed Mar 26, 2026 ↗
We offer most of our beauty products for sale through our Ulta.com website and through our mobile applications. As a result, we encounter risks and difficulties frequently experienced by internet-based businesses, including risks related to our ability to attract and retain guests on a cost-effective basis and our ability to operate, support, expand, and develop our internet operations, website, mobile applications and software, and other related operational systems. Although we
Read in the 10-K filed Mar 26, 2026 ↗
Harm to our reputation could adversely impact our ability to attract and retain guests, associates, vendors, and/or other partners.
Read in the 10-K filed Mar 26, 2026 ↗
Negative publicity or perceptions involving us or our brands, products, associates, operations, vendors, spokespersons, or marketing and other partners may negatively impact our reputation and adversely affect our ability to attract and retain guests, associates, vendors, and/or other partners. Failure to detect, prevent, or mitigate issues that might give rise to reputational risk or failure to adequately address negative publicity or perceptions could adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Issues that might pose a reputational risk include failure of our cybersecurity measures to protect against cybersecurity incidents; product liability and product recalls; inaccurate claims regarding the sustainability or content/ingredients of the products sold in our stores, including in connection with our Conscious Beauty program; our social media activity; our handling of issues relating to corporate responsibility matters, including our responses to such matters; failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations or enforce our own policies; public stances on controversial social or political issues; concerns surrounding labor, environmental, workplace
Read in the 10-K filed Mar 26, 2026 ↗
safety, and other practices that may vary from U.S. standards in any of our foreign vendors or partners, whether directly or indirectly; and any of the other risks enumerated in these risk factors. As part of our marketing efforts, we rely on social media platforms and other digital marketing to attract and retain guests. A variety of risks are associated with our social media activity and digital marketing, including the improper disclosure of proprietary information, negative comments about or negative incidents regarding us, exposure of personally identifiable information, fraud, or out-of-date information. The inappropriate use of social media and digital marketing vehicles by us, our guests, associates, or others could increase our costs, lead to litigation, or result in negative publicity that could damage our reputation. Many social media platforms immediately publish the content, videos, and/or photographs created or uploaded by their subscribers and participants, often without filters or checks on accuracy of the content posted. Information posted on such platforms at any time may be adverse to our interests and/or inaccurate. The dissemination of negative information related to us or our brands, products, associates, operations, vendors, spokespersons, or partners could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition, regardless of the information’s accuracy, and the harm may be immediate without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction. It may be difficult to address negative publicity across media channels, regardless of its accuracy or the reputability of its source, and this challenge could be further exacerbated by fictitious media content, such as content produced by generative AI or bad actors. Furthermore, the prevalence of news coverage, the internet, and social media may accelerate and increase the potential scope of any negative publicity we might receive and could increase the negative impact of these issues on our reputation, business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Read in the 10-K filed Mar 26, 2026 ↗