The Douglas perfumery chain increased sales and earnings in the past financial year 2024/25. In the final quarter, however, the company experienced greater price sensitivity among customers and increasing competitive pressure through discount campaigns, as Douglas announced on Thursday in Düsseldorf. In the financial year to the end of September, revenue rose by 2.8 percent to almost 4.6 billion euros. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) improved by 3.6 percent to 756.5 million euros.
“In a very volatile and therefore challenging year, we achieved overall results in line with expectations,” said CEO Sander van der Laan, commenting on the results. He sees the European premium beauty market continuing to grow in the future, but consumer uncertainty could continue. For the new 2025/26 financial year, Douglas expects a slight increase in sales to between 4.65 and 4.8 billion euros, and the adjusted EBITDA margin is expected to fall from 16.8 percent to around 16.5 percent.
In the medium term, Douglas is aiming for growth in the low to mid-single-digit percentage range and a stable adjusted EBITDA margin. The company is also examining expansion outside of Europe: CEO van der Laan sees great potential in the Gulf region due to its wealthy customers and is considering entering the market. A final decision is expected to be made during 2026.