DOUGLAS updates sustainability strategy with ambitious goals

SUSTAINABILITY     

ESG Report
DOUGLAS updates sustainability strategy with ambitious goals

• DOUGLAS released its updated sustainability strategy and report along the three focus areas People, Planet and Products
• People: DOUGLAS aims to further drive diversity and increase representation, while already 89% of management positions in the DOUGLAS Group are held by women in FY 2022/23 (as of September 30, 2023)
• Planet: DOUGLAS aims to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% until 2025 in Scope 1 and 2, followed-up by further reduction steps in-line with Science Based Targets
• Products: DOUGLAS aims for 80% of its Corporate Brands to be vegan with fully sustainable packaging by 2030, while 94% of Corporate Brands new launches in FY 2022/23 were already vegan; DOUGLAS also wants to closely cooperate with brand partners on ESG
• Sander van der Laan, CEO DOUGLAS Group: “As Europe’s number one omnichannel premium beauty destination, we also want to be leading in sustainability.”

Düsseldorf, 1 February 2024 – DOUGLAS, Europe’s leading omnichannel destination for premium beauty, has released its Sustainability report of the financial year 2022/23 with reference to the international standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The report includes an updated, more ambitious sustainability strategy expanding the previous approach of the 2020/21 financial year.

Sander van der Laan, CEO DOUGLAS Group and Chairman of the ESG Committee, said: “As Europe’s number one omnichannel premium beauty destination, we have the ambition to also be a leading beauty retailer in sustainability. We have made good progress on our sustainability journey, for instance in reducing our combined Scopes 1 and 2 emissions in the past years. We are committed to our ambitious goals to further reduce our carbon footprint and to promote sustainable practices.”

DOUGLAS’ sustainability strategy forms an integral part of the company’s “Let it Bloom – DOUGLAS 2026” strategy, which is focused on accelerating growth through a targeted omnichannel business model and a strict focus on the customer. The ESG strategy is firmly anchored in the first strategy pillar ‘Be the #1 BEAUTY DESTINATION in all our markets’ and is based on three focus areas: People, Planet, and Products. The governance framework of DOUGLAS is the fundament to these central focus areas, with ESG integrated into management remuneration, showcasing the dedication to sustainable practices from top to bottom. The main components are:

• People: DOUGLAS aims to create a workplace that champions diversity, equity, and inclusion, and actively drives these by setting clear priorities to increase representation. 89% of management positions in the DOUGLAS Group are held by women, with 97% in stores and 60% in offices (as of September 30, 2023). At the same time, people from 104 nations work for DOUGLAS. In addition, further initiatives were taken to attract, develop, and retain talent, including leadership programs, a new e-learning platform, and a mentoring program.
• Planet: DOUGLAS is committed to reducing its environmental footprint. From minimizing energy consumption in the stores and offices to cutting waste and carbon emissions across the supply chain. DOUGLAS targets to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% by 2025 in Scope 1 and 2 (compared with the baseline financial year 2018/19). The combined Scope 1 and 2 emissions were already reduced in the financial year 2022/23 by 32%, versus the baseline financial year 2018/19. DOUGLAS intends to assess its climate ambitions in accordance with Science-Based Targets (SBTs) then also including a Scope 3 reduction target, and has also signed the UN Global Compact, a United Nations pact to get businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies.
• Products: DOUGLAS is committed for 80% of its Corporate Brands to be vegan by 2030 and for 100% of their packaging to be recyclable, recycled, or reusable. DOUGLAS has already made significant progress towards these goals, with 94% of Corporate Brands new launches in the financial year 2022/23 being vegan, and nearly 30% of the DOUGLAS’s  Corporate Brands new launches in financial year 2022/23 contained at least 90% ingredients from a natural origin as of September 30, 2023. In addition, DOUGLAS has achieved a central milestone by joining the EcoBeautyScore Consortium, an initiative of the cosmetics industry consisting of manufacturers, retailers, and associations, to enable consumers to make more informed and sustainable choices. Moreover, DOUGLAS wants to closely cooperate with its brand partners on ESG and plans to use its marketing reach for raising the visibility of sustainability in the customer journey.

The full Sustainability Report is available on the DOUGLAS website

[https://corporate.douglas.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DOUGLAS-Group-Sustainability-Report-FY-2022-23.pdf].

* Scopes 1 and 2 emissions are layers of greenhouse gas emissions according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

ABOUT DOUGLAS 

DOUGLAS is the number one omnichannel premium beauty destination in Europe. The company is inspiring customers to live their own kind of beauty by offering a unique assortment online and in around 1,850 stores. With unparalleled size and access to customers, DOUGLAS is the partner of choice for brands and offers a premium range of selective and exclusive brands as well as own corporate brands. The assortment includes fragrances, color cosmetics, skin care, hair care, accessories as well as beauty services. Strengthening its successful omnichannel positioning while consistently developing superior customer experience is at the heart of the company’s strategy “Let it Bloom – DOUGLAS 2026”. The winning business model is underpinned by DOUGLAS’ omnichannel proposition, leading brands, and data capabilities. In the financial year 2022/23, DOUGLAS generated sales (net) of 4.1 billion euros and employed around 18,000 people across Europe. 

For more information visit the DOUGLAS website. 

PRESS CONTACT 

Peter Wübben 
SVP Group Communications & Sustainability 
Phone: +49 211 16847 664 
E-Mail: pr@douglas.de