Douglas acquired NI, an online retail platform for high-end cosmetics

This acquisition will strengthen Douglas'position in luxury goods and online retail, and enable Douglas to use its own platform to support the rapid growth of NICHE BEAUTY.

Douglas, a German cosmetics chain retailer, will acquire a majority stake in NICHE BEAUTY, a German high-end cosmetics online retail platform.

NICHE BEAUTY was founded in 2011 by Laetitia von Hessen and Sarah von Doetinchem sisters and their father Andreas Bechtolf, aiming to expose German consumers to excellent cosmetic products from the international market. They provide customers with a selection of high-end professional cosmetics brands, many of which are currently only known to the industry, and only sold overseas.

NICHE BEAUTY platform has more than 6000 products with more than 200 exclusive brands. These products are based on the latest research results and technological innovation, containing high quality components. The founder's family travels around the world, insisting on discovering the latest industry news and product trends for NICHE BEAUTY's 250,000 online users. The growing user base of NICHE BEAUTY demonstrates the success of the management team in identifying and introducing attractive lifestyle brands.

Douglas is one of the major retailers in the European cosmetology industry, with 2400 stores and online stores in 24 European countries. In fiscal year 2017/18, the company generated 3.3 billion euros in sales. Douglas has about 40 million loyal users, selling over 650 brands and about 50 thousand high quality products, including perfume, cosmetics, skin care products, food supplements and accessories, and has about 20 thousand professional beauty experts consultants.

This acquisition will strengthen Douglas'position in luxury goods and online retail, and enable Douglas to use its own platform to support the rapid growth of NICHE BEAUTY. Douglas will own 51% of NICHE BEAUTY. At the same time, the founder family of NICHE BEAUTY will continue to operate the platform. Tina M ller, CEO of Douglas Group, said: "We have been looking for promising investments that are in line with our FORWARD BEAUTY strategy to improve our portfolio. NICHE BEAUTY adds a luxury category to Douglas, perfectly complementing our multi-brand strategy. We look forward to working with Laetitia von Hessen, Sarah von Doetinchem and Andreas Bechtolf, founders of NICHE BEAUTY, to realize their vision and full potential and bring more innovative products to Europe."

NICHE BEAUTY Executive Vice President of Electronic Commerce and Customer Relations Management Vanessa Styutzle said: "NICHE BEAUTY team has successfully demonstrated excellent judgment to meet the needs of more and more customers for exclusive high-quality cosmetics. Through Douglas online stores, parfumdreams and NICHE BEAUTY, we will provide customers with a complementary product line consistent with our platform strategy. In this way, we can more accurately and effectively target different groups. Laetitia von Hessen, one of the founders of NICHE BEAUTY, said: "Our mission is to give our customers access to the world's most exclusive cosmetics. Working with Douglas means that we now have the support of one of Europe's most powerful and well-known beauty partners, which offers us new opportunities. Douglas is an ideal platform for NICHE BEAUTY to ensure that our next phase of growth is more successful.

Sarah von Doetinchem added: "We see ourselves as a lifestyle brand. Working with such a powerful company as Douglas, we can focus on increasing our visibility so that customers all over Europe can get our services in the future.