PRESS RELEASES

• Forbes and Statista award the world's best employers for women in 2024; DOUGLAS Group ranks #1 in Retail and Wholesale, #3 in the comprehensive global list, and #1 in Germany
• Ranking based on experience of 100,000 women surveyed and their perception of companies in relation to gender, including workplace practices, opportunities and promotion of equality
• Supporting women and female entrepreneurship is core to the DOUGLAS Group's identity
• Mareike Mende-Ratnam, CHRO DOUGLAS Group: “We are proud that our efforts to empower women are reflected in the experience and perception of the women surveyed.”

Düsseldorf, 19 November 2024 – The DOUGLAS Group, Europe’s number one omnichannel destination for premium beauty, has been named a Top Company for Women in a global ranking by Forbes. In collaboration with the market research company Statista, the renowned business magazine has published its list of the world's best employers for women in 2024, and the DOUGLAS Group ranks first among global retail and wholesale companies, third in the comprehensive global cross-industry list, and first among all companies in Germany. The award recognizes the Group's ongoing commitment to creating a work environment that empowers and inspires women.

“Supporting female entrepreneurship is core to the DOUGLAS Group's identity. We are proud that our efforts to empower women in every possible way are reflected in the experience and perception of the women surveyed”, said Mareike Mende-Ratnam, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) of the DOUGLAS Group. “We are absolutely committed to continue on this path and to further boost our actions to inspire and support women so that they can evolve according to their individual vision.”

Ranking based on individual experiences of respondents and their outside image of companies

The survey conducted by Forbes and Statista was carried out among 100,000 women employed in multinational corporations in 37 countries. The respondents, who were recruited via a panel, were asked to score companies on their general assessment of workplace conditions as well as gender-specific matters, including aspects such as gender pay equality, promotion opportunities, management’s responses to female discrimination concerns, and the perception of industry competitors. The responses were aggregated to create an “employer brand score”, a “public opinion score” and a “leadership score”, and subsequently combined with survey data collected over the past three years. The top 400 international companies – including the DOUGLAS Group on third place globally – were awarded a certificate as World’s Top Company for Women 2024. A requirement was that they were operating in at least two major regions, such as Central and Eastern Europe.

Female empowerment at the DOUGLAS Group

Supporting women is an integral part of the DOUGLAS Group’s DNA: DOUGLAS was born and grew out of the vision of two sisters, and since then many courageous, passionate and entrepreneurial women have driven the continuous growth of the company. The above-average proportion of female employees (Financial Year 2022/23: around 97% in stores and around 70% in HQs) and women in management positions (FY 2022/23: 89%) are testament to the DOUGLAS Group’s commitment to empower, inspire and motivate women to develop their full potential. At the same time, the Group is advocating for true inclusion and gender equality in line with its purpose to make life more beautiful for its employees, its customers and the world. This includes prioritizing equal opportunities, ensuring the representation of women and driving initiatives to attract and develop talent – such as mentoring programs and trainings to prepare women for future leadership roles.

About the DOUGLAS Group

The DOUGLAS Group, with its commercial brands DOUGLAS, NOCIBÉ, Parfumdreams and Niche Beauty, is the number one omnichannel premium beauty destination in Europe. The DOUGLAS Group is inspiring customers to live their own kind of beauty by offering a unique assortment online and in around 1,870 stores. With unparalleled size and access to customers, the DOUGLAS Group 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 DOUGLAS Group strategy “Let it Bloom – DOUGLAS 2026”. The winning business model is underpinned by the Group’s omnichannel proposition, leading brands, and data capabilities. In the financial year 2022/23, the DOUGLAS Group generated sales (net) of 4.1 billion euros and employed around 18,000 people across Europe. The DOUGLAS Group (Douglas AG) is listed at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Contact