Dolce & Gabbana Beauty plans up to 70 boutiques after 14% sales rise

Dolce & Gabbana Beauty plans to open between 50 and 70 independent boutiques worldwide, chief executive Gianluca Toniolo told Il Sole 24 Ore. The rollout supports a goal of double-digit growth in 2026, with a particular focus on the Middle East, India, Brazil, Mexico and the US over the next three years.

Sales at the beauty unit grew 14% in 2025, with operating profit in the double digits. Toniolo said the business had passed the €1bn threshold in wholesale sales and tripled turnover in the three years since it ended a licensing deal with Japanese group Shiseido in 2022.

"This result confirms the soundness of the decision made three years ago and the increasingly significant contribution of this category to the brand's overall development," Toniolo said. The business now spans make-up and skin care alongside established fragrances such as Light Blue and The One.

The parent is the Italian luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabbana, founded in 1985 by designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Its beauty arm was taken in-house in 2022, replacing the Shiseido licence under which the group's fragrances had previously been run.

"Our goal for 2026 is to continue double-digit growth," Toniolo said. "This will be the year with the most intensive innovation plan for the internationalisation of the business: we will simultaneously work on strengthening the major fragrance franchises, expanding make-up distribution, and launching the first complete skin care line."

Make-up is expected to widen from the current 1,100 global points of sale to approximately 2,000 by the end of 2026. The skin care line would be the unit's first complete range, a step beyond the fragrance franchises that built the business.

Where the revenue comes from

Around 55% of revenues come from the Americas, with the US accounting for 60% of that region. Toniolo described the US as its leading market and said it is experiencing "significant growth". Europe accounts for roughly 40% of revenues, led by Italy, Spain and Germany.

Asia contributes about 6% of revenues but "offers significant development prospects", Toniolo said. He named the Middle East, Australia, Mexico and Brazil as fast-expanding markets the company is monitoring closely, and said Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are showing very positive signs.

"In 2026, the brand reached sixth place in the US fragrance market, gaining two positions, with a 28% increase compared to a market growth of 5%," Toniolo said. In India, the company has assumed direct control of operations.

"Our strategy combines a widespread wholesale presence, selective retail openings, and digital development," Toniolo said. Wholesale remains the base, with boutiques and online added around it rather than replacing it.

The boutiques

The dedicated boutique rollout has begun in Jakarta, to be followed by Hong Kong, London Covent Garden, Dubai Mall, Bahrain and Kuwait. "Single-brand stores play an important role in strengthening our positioning and offering an immersive, comprehensive brand experience," Toniolo said.

The retail push is complemented by beauty areas inside Dolce & Gabbana fashion boutiques. Around 20 are already operational, with another 21 planned by the end of 2027, a distinctive model in Toniolo's words.

"This fusion allows us to present cosmetics as an integral part of the Dolce & Gabbana universe, not as a separate category," Toniolo said. Standalone stores and in-store counters are meant to work as two halves of one retail plan.

That is also the market where Toniolo wants new boutiques, alongside the Middle East, India, Brazil and Mexico.

Context and what comes next

Leadership from the wider house has been moving elsewhere. We reported that Poltrona Frau hired a new chief executive from Dolce & Gabbana's EMEA presidency, ending his predecessor's ten-year run at the Italian furniture house.

The dated commitments are specific: roughly 2,000 make-up points of sale by the end of 2026, 21 more in-store beauty areas by the end of 2027, and 50 to 70 boutiques over three years.

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Image: Dolce & Gabbana