Overview
Douglas is Europe's leading premium beauty retailer, with almost 2,000 stores and online shops in 22 countries. It sells fragrance, make-up, skincare and haircare at douglas.de and its other country sites, and in France under the Nocibé brand. Douglas also runs a partner programme that lets selected brands sell directly through its online shops. For a premium beauty brand in Europe, Douglas is one of the most important retail partners.
Who is behind Douglas
The Douglas Group is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, and listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. In the financial year 2024/25, which ended on 30.09.2025, sales were EUR 4.58 billion, up 2.8%. Online sales make up around a third of group sales, and more than one in three online purchases is made through the Douglas app. At 30.09.2025 the group had 1,959 stores including franchise locations, after a net 74 new stores during the year. Douglas is also considering expansion into the Gulf region, with a decision expected in 2026.
What the shopper sees
Douglas offers selective and premium beauty brands, its own brands, and growing exclusivity in its assortment. Its stores and online shops are connected, so shoppers can move between them. Demand peaks are high: on Black Friday 2025, web traffic on the Douglas and Nocibé shops reached more than 3.5 times a normal Friday, with up to about 25,000 orders an hour.
How brands can work with Douglas
- As a retail supplier. Douglas buys products and sells them in its stores and online shops.
- Through the partner programme. Selected brands sell directly in Douglas online shops as partners. Douglas has said the programme is growing strongly while it keeps high curation standards.
- Through Douglas Marketing Solutions. Douglas sells retail media and marketing to brands, which grew at double-digit rates in 2025.
A brand approaching Douglas should be ready with:
- A premium beauty positioning that fits Douglas' curated, increasingly exclusive range.
- EU cosmetics compliance, including CPNP notification and correct labelling.
- Local-language product content for each country shop.
- Strong brand content and marketing to stand out next to established beauty brands.
Why Douglas matters for brands
Douglas combines a large store network with online reach across 22 European countries, and its partner programme gives brands a curated way to sell online without opening each market alone.
How eBrands looks at Douglas
eBrands works with brands on marketplaces and retail channels across Europe and North America, and beauty is one of our core categories. If you want to see how Douglas could sit alongside the channels you already use, we are happy to talk it through.
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