Douglas Builds Beauty Marketplace With Partners Online

PARIS — With the aim of becoming the largest marketplace for beauty products in Europe, Douglas perfumery chain is launching an exclusive beauty partner program online.
In the first phase of the digital platform, Douglas will add 10,000 new premium products from selected partners to the perfumer chain’s assortment of approximately 50,000 products it already sells in Germany.
“Platform economy is the business model of the future,” said Tina Müller, Douglas Group chief executive officer, in a statement. “With the launch of the marketplace and its partner program, we are ringing in the decisive phase of our digital transformation. Douglas is becoming a platform, which allows us to successfully consolidate our position as the number-one beauty destination.”
The products to be added to the platform at launch will come from natural cosmetics supplier Talea and fashion accessories supplier Brandfield. About 20 other exclusive partners, such as Parfumdreams, which Douglas acquired last year, are set to sell their products online through Douglas in Germany, as well.
Douglas said it is negotiating with 100 more potential partners for the program.
How this new platform works is that customers browse Douglas’ online shop and then are informed at checkout whether it’s the perfumery chain or one of its partners that will be shipping the purchased products.
“With the Douglas Partner Program as the heart of our platform strategy, we are expanding our beauty assortment without building up additional inventories,” said Vanessa Stützle, executive vice president e-commerce and CRM, in a statement. “We are offering product worlds of even greater diversity and thus can provide our customers with a unique, one-stop shopping experience.”
After the partner program is introduced in Germany, it will be progressively rolled out to the other markets Douglas is in.
Douglas is among Europe’s largest premium beauty retailers, with approximately 2,400 stores and online shops in 26 European countries.
The perfumery chain stocks products from more than 650 brands in the perfume, decorative cosmetics, skin care, food supplements and accessories categories.
In fiscal year 2017-'18, Douglas generated revenues of 3.3 billion euros.
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