DOUGLAS Group reports 3.2% sales growth in Q3 FY25

GERMANY – The DOUGLAS Group has reported a 3.2% increase in sales for the third quarter of fiscal year 2024/25, marking a significant return to growth after a slight decline in the previous quarter. 

The company achieved sales of 1.0 billion euros(USD 1.17 billion) during this period, with an even stronger growth rate of 4.0% when excluding the disposed online pharmacy Disapo.

Store sales rose by 2.1% overall, supported by the opening of 22 new stores and the refurbishment of 39 others, despite a slight like-for-like sales decline. 

Meanwhile, the e-commerce segment flourished with an 8.2% increase in sales when adjusted for Disapo. 

Regionally, the company experienced broad gains, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe—which saw a remarkable 10.5% sales increase—while France faced a modest decline of 0.9%. 

The DACHNL region also contributed positively with 3.2% sales growth.

Despite challenges in the French market, CEO Sander van der Laan expressed confidence in the company’s overall growth trajectory, highlighting its solid performance across most regions and channels as it capitalizes on opportunities in the European premium beauty market. 

He stated,  “We have delivered solid overall growth and are on track to achieve our guidance for the current financial year.”

“While customers in France keep a tighter hold on their spending, the good development in the vast majority of our 22 omnichannel markets brought us back to quarterly growth after a challenging second quarter.”

Financially, the DOUGLAS Group turned a corner as net income moved into positive territory, posting 17.3 million euros(USD 20.24 million) in profit compared to a loss the previous year.

EBITDA edged up by 1.4% to 154.6 million euros, corresponding to a margin of 15.3%.

The company also boosted its free cash flow by 3.0%, reaching 104.8 million euros(USD 122.56 million), while maintaining a stable net leverage ratio of 2.7 times.

For the first nine months of the fiscal year, the DOUGLAS Group’s sales grew by 2.9% to 3.6 billion euros, and net income improved significantly to 161.3 million euros(USD 188.67 million), affirming the strong momentum the company has built.

Looking ahead, the company reaffirmed its full-year outlook, expecting sales to slightly exceed 4.5 billion euros(USD 5.26 billion) and targeting an adjusted EBITDA margin of around 17%. 

Net income is projected to reach approximately 175 million euros(USD 204.73 million).

DOUGLAS continues to focus on expanding its store network, aiming to open roughly 200 new stores by the end of 2026. 

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