Fragrance house

Douglas

Douglas’s perfumery identity dates to 1 June 1910, when sisters Anna and Maria Carstens opened the first “Parfümerie Douglas” in Hamburg under a license to use the Douglas name. Their business grew from the Douglas soap name into a dedicated beauty-retail brand, with female entrepreneurship and innovation identified as enduring parts of its identity. Hussel AG acquired the Douglas perfumeries in 1969, and from 1976 the stores carried the uniform “Parfümerie Douglas” name. International expansion began in 1973 with the acquisition of Austria’s Parfümerie Ruttner, followed by moves into other European markets. An online shop launched in 2000 and a mobile app in 2011, marking a transition toward an omnichannel model. In 2012, the Kreke family and Advent International took over Douglas Holding AG and refocused the group on beauty retail; CVC acquired Douglas in 2015, with the Kreke family reinvesting alongside it. In 2024, the business adopted the DOUGLAS Group branding and returned to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as Douglas AG through an IPO. Today, it is presented as a European omnichannel premium-beauty retail group whose assortment includes fragrances, cosmetics, skin care, hair care, accessories, and beauty services. Its mint brand color has been associated with its stores for many decades.