Germany-headquartered magnificence chain retailer Douglas stated its enterprise efficiency within the third quarter of the monetary yr 2025/2026 was impacted by weak dynamics in Germany, France and the Netherlands in addition to by ongoing value competitors within the European magnificence sector, reflecting the repeatedly excessive value sensitivity amongst shoppers.
Gross sales through the April to June interval declined by 2.0% year-on-year to 987.8 million euros and adjusted EBITDA [1] was down 19.4% to 127.5 million euros (adjusted EBITDA margin: 12.9%). Robust development in Central Jap Europe (+4.4%) couldn’t offset declining gross sales within the DACHNL [2] area (-2.8%) and in France (-2.1%), the place the group has a presence by means of the Nocibé model.
Based on Douglas, whereas the European premium magnificence market continues to increase, Germany, France and the Netherlands — which collectively account for round 60% of the group’s whole enterprise — are lagging behind extra dynamic markets resembling Poland, Spain and Italy. Client demand for premium magnificence declined yr on yr in Germany and the Netherlands, whereas remaining broadly flat in France. In contrast, Central and Jap Europe continues to be a key development engine for the Group.
Parfumdreams, the Group’s German on-line pure-play enterprise, additionally confronted short-term operational constraints through the interval. Because of this, the Parfumdreams/Area of interest Magnificence phase recorded the steepest gross sales decline, down 10.4%.
In contrast, e-commerce grew at a double-digit charge in Central and Jap Europe, Southern Europe and France, the place the web channel accounts for as much as one-quarter of whole gross sales. Based on Douglas, this sturdy efficiency highlights each the channel’s development potential and its accelerating momentum as shoppers more and more shift their procuring on-line.
Within the first 9 months of the monetary yr 2025/2026, omnichannel gross sales growth remained secure total with a rise of 0.5% to three.61 billion euros, while the adjusted EBITDA declined 9.0% to 577.3 million euros (adjusted EBITDA margin: 16.0%). The corporate confirmed its steering for the monetary yr.
“The competitors for share of pockets is fierce,” stated Sander van der Laan, CEO of the Douglas Group.
To adapt to altering shopper habits, the corporate stated it’s repeatedly reviewing its pricing technique whereas accelerating its omnichannel transformation. “We’re shifting funding focus in the direction of elevating our digital providing and the procuring expertise for our clients, whereas on the similar time driving assortment exclusivity and cross-channel companies – each of which present important gross sales development,” van der Laan added.
Anticipating the stability between retailer and on-line gross sales to shift additional within the coming years, the Douglas Group intends to put even better emphasis on e-commerce.
“This additionally means that we’ll be reviewing shops critically with regard to our profitability targets. We’ll proceed to open new places selectively – significantly in Jap Europe – and also will carry on modernizing shops in Western Europe. Nonetheless, particularly within the main Western European markets, the place the shift in the direction of on-line has the most important absolute influence, we are going to modify the stability between digital and stationary enterprise much more carefully to match prevailing buyer footfall,” van der Laan highlighted.
