Douglas Sales Beat Forecast on New Stores, Germany

Douglas Holding AG, Europe’s largest retailer of makeup and perfumes, beat its own and analysts’ full-year sales predictions as new stores attracted customers and Germans bought more fragrances, jewelry and books.

Revenue in the 12 months through September rose 3.7 percent to 3.32 billion euros ($4.64 billion) from 3.2 billion euros a year earlier, the Hagen, Germany-based company said today in a statement. The increase exceeded Douglas’s forecast of an increase at the upper end of a 0 percent-to-2 percent range. Sales topped the 3.27 billion-euro average estimate of 19 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News.