
Founded more than 200 years ago, the name DOUGLAS has become synonymous with beauty and inspiration and today the DOUGLAS Group is the leading omni-channel premium beauty destination in Europe. Over the next couple of pages we get to know the company CEO Sander van der Laan, as we discuss the business in detail and he outlines what comes next for a Group that is operating in its third century.
Since its inauguration, the urge to make beauty a tangible experience has been part of the DOUGLAS Group DNA and today, they are an international retail group made up of several brands operating across Europe – both in-store and through an extensive digital presence, on apps and online shops. Their mission, which is also their defined purpose, is to make life more beautiful, every day for everyone.
The Group’s in-store operations take place in around 1,870 stores across 22 European countries, whilst their online transactions happen across 27 countries on the continent.
The DOUGLAS Group has recently celebrated the reopening of their “House of Beauty” luxury flagship store in Vienna, one of their most important addresses within the DACHNL region and across their whole network. This luxury store is located in the heart of the city, in the Ernst Wahliss department store on the very popular Kärntner Street.
“We want to make life more beautiful – for our employees, our customers and the world around us. That is the purpose of the DOUGLAS Group and we try to live by it and our values every day.”
It offers a strong and curated selection of brands and products as well as individual beauty services on two floors with a total sales area of 795sq m. The reopening was appropriately celebrated, with a grand ceremony and a visit by Hollywood star and DOUGLAS Group testimonial Diane Kruger.

“Our physical footprint is a key strategic pillar and growth driver for us and we are committed to further investment in our network,” highlights Sander van der Laan, CEO of the DOUGLAS Group. “At the beginning of our financial year 2023/24, we started a comprehensive store network development program and aim to open more than 200 stores and refurbish more than 400 stores by the end of 2026.”
Away from its store portfolio, the company is currently rolling out its future-oriented OWAC (One Warehouse, All Channels) supply chain across Europe, with two new OWAC logistics centres in planning for the growing CEE market, they have recently launched a premium redesign of their websites, online shops and apps and they are working towards a Group-wide unified tech stack.
As the discussion moves onto new markets for the brand, van der Laan explains that last year they successfully expanded their store business into two new markets, Belgium and Slovenia. He says that they are now focusing on upgrading and expanding their footprint within their existing markets, where they see a lot of growth potential. Looking a bit further into the future, he comments that they may also look at entering additional markets where they are not currently present.

The company’s assortment covers five strategic core categories within premium beauty: fragrances, skin care, makeup, hair care and accessories. Beyond these, they also offer their customers the hottest independent trending and niche brands as well as a strong selection of their own corporate brands exclusively available at the DOUGLAS Group.
Their online assortment is even broader – due in part to their successful Partner Program where they work together with a high number of external partners who wish to be present on the DOUGLAS platform.
In addition, their offering as a premium beauty retailer is not limited to just products. In many of their locations, guests can enjoy individual beauty services – on top of the personal advice they can receive from in-house beauty experts.
By integrating all these elements and systematically conceiving them as an omni-channel offering, the business is able to provide its customers with a unique premium beauty experience that is not available anywhere else on the market.

“As a retailer, for us it is all about the customer experience and offering the best selection of beauty brands and products around. That is what we are striving for and to that end we are always monitoring market and category trends, customer shopping behaviour and new, upcoming technologies,” highlights van der Laan.
A love brand for many of its customers, social media represents a very important platform for the company as it looks to cultivate and nurture the relationship it has with its guests. They maintain a strong and growing social commerce business and operate their own content creator system, where customers, employees and brand partners present their favourite products to an ever-growing community of beauty enthusiasts.
“Another element that plays a huge role in everything we do is that of sustainability. Earlier this year for example, we published our updated sustainability strategy with ambitious goals – all in-line with Science Based Targets,” van der Laan explains.

“Generally, we focus on three areas: People, Planet and Products. Within these, we strive to create a workplace that champions diversity, equity and inclusion and actively drives them. We want to protect the planet and forge a sustainable path for the future together and as a retailer, we pay particular attention to the quality of our assortment – including in the area of sustainability.”
The company believes that the only way a business can thrive over the long run is by really knowing its customers, which is why they continue to place them at the centre of their business model. Whether it is in-store, online or on a smartphone, customers can expect the best shopping experience, passionate beauty expertise and an inspiring atmosphere where products and brands can shine. They have aligned all their activities with customer expectations and van der Laan feels this is a key element of what has made them so successful over a long period of time.
“We want to make life more beautiful – for our employees, our customers and the world around us. That is the purpose of the DOUGLAS Group and we try to live by it and our values every day.”