Annual Report 2009/10 Excellence in Retailing - Douglas Holding

50 Management Report
Key results
Business activities and operating environment
Net assets, financial position and result of operations
DOUGLAS HOLDING AG
Subsequent events
Control system and success factors
Opportunities and risks situation
Statutory disclosures
Forecast and overall assessment
Fig. 14
est groups – employees, shareholders, creditors or the public sector. The result represents
the macroeconomic performance of the DOUGLAS Group.
In the 2009/10 fiscal year, the Group’s performance increased by 3.5 percent to over 3.5
billion EUR as a consequence of sales growth. Net of intermediate input, the value added
generated by the DOUGLAS Group totaled 865.0 million EUR (prior year: 820.2 million
EUR), translating into an increase of 5.5 percent year-on-year.
The bulk of the value added – 83.2 percent – went to the benefit of the DOUGLAS
Group’s employees. The public sector received 6.4 percent of value added. Based on the
dividend currently being proposed, the DOUGLAS Group’s shareholders account for 5.0
percent of value added with 1.6 percent going to creditors and 3.8 percent remaining within
the Group.
Headcount slightly higher
The DOUGLAS Group’s positive performance delivered in the 2009/10 fiscal year is
largely due to the high dedication of its employees. With their extraordinary enthusiasm
and high service-orientation, the employees make sure that the customers receive expert
advice and service, thus enjoying making purchases at the DOUGLAS Group’s specialty
retail stores.
As of September 30, 2010, the headcount increased by 465 to 24,655 year-on-year.
This includes new employees both in Germany and abroad. As of the balance sheet date,
there were 15,164 employees in Germany or 403 more than the year before. Outside of
Germany, the workforce number of 9,491 was slightly higher than the prior year’s figure
of 9,429.
Personnel expenses in the 2009/10 fiscal year totaled 720.3 million EUR or 3.2 percent
above the prior year’s figure. The ratio of personnel expenses to sales of 21.7 percent
matched the prior year’s level.
To meet the demographic changes and increasing demands from customers, the
DOUGLAS Group focuses on consistent training and continuing education of its employees.
In 2010, 670 young individuals began their vocational training at a specialty retail
store or at the service headquarters. This represents a trainee rate of nearly 13 percent,
which once again places the Group well above the sector average of roughly eight percent.
Accordingly, the DOUGLAS Group again proves its high commitment to the training
of young professionals.
Another instrumental success factor is staff development, which deals with both technical
and leadership issues. Specified for the requirements of the subsidiaries, special programs
and courses are developed to meet the individual needs of the employees.
Continuing education is offered at the “Douglas Academy” for the German Douglas
perfumeries, at the “PROMIs-Program” for the Christ jewelry stores and at the “Thalia
Academy” for the Thalia bookstores. On a cross-company level, the DOUGLAS HOLDING
ACADEMY creates seminars, workshops and informative events for upper management,
focusing on the latest developments and trends in the strategic further development of
the divisions. In addition, it supports the exchange of information across all departments