March 24 (Reuters) - German beauty retailer Douglas

said on Monday it had been surprised by the speed at

which the market had deteriorated in the last three months,

which caused it to cut its guidance for 2025 on Thursday.

It attributed the downturn to a "very significant" shift in

the economy and politics globally that has hit consumers'

willingness to spend, especially in its key markets Germany and

France, CEO Sander van der Laan told investors on a call.

"It will take a while before we have this behind us," he

added.

Weakening demand for personal care and beauty products has

weighed on consumer goods companies, with bellwethers such as

Procter & Gamble ( PG ) and L'Oreal seen by analysts

as better able to cope thanks to broader product ranges,

marketing firepower and investments in new products.

In Germany, van der Laan also flagged pressure on Douglas'

sales and gross profit in its e-commerce channel from discounts

at online perfume retailer Flaconi, which is owned by German

media group ProSiebenSat.1.

Douglas said it did not believe its strategy was wrong, but

flagged that it needed time to assess the situation and reflect

upon its mid-term guidance for 2026 and beyond.