The Tamesis
L’Oréal Group’s revenue in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 increased 7.6% year-on-year to 12.2 billion euros, exceeding analysts’ expectations. That’s an acceleration from the previous quarter, when L’Oréal missed expectations.
“Not only did we outperform the still-vibrant beauty market, but we accelerated our global market share growth,” CEO Nicolas Hieronimus said in a statement. “We continued to win in fragrance, hair care and cosmetics, driven by our innovation program, and started to see some encouraging signs in skin care. Our leadership in e-commerce allowed us to double down on our winning channels, driving strong results across all geographies, especially in emerging markets.”
On March 31, L’Oréal completed the acquisition of Kering Beauté, which includes the House of Creed and a fifty-year exclusive license to create, develop and distribute fragrances and beauty products under the Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga brands.
By division, L’Oréal’s professional products (including Kérastase and Redken) experienced the strongest sales growth, up 15.5% year-on-year, followed by skin beauty products (including Cerave and La Roche-Posay), which grew 10.8%. Consumer goods (including L’Oréal Paris and Maybelline) rose 5.8%, and luxury goods (including Kiehl’s and Yves Saint Laurent) rose 5.2%.
By region, growth was driven by sales in Europe (up 10.3%), North America (up 11.4%) and emerging markets (South Asia Pacific, Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa), which grew 20.4%. Latin America revenue increased 5.1%, while North Asia revenue fell 4%.
“The recovery in our two largest countries – the United States and China – continued in the second half and we outperformed the market in both countries,” Hieronymus said. “Despite the current geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties, we are optimistic about the prospects for the global beauty market. Our multi-polar model, the determination of our team, and our ability to innovate give me confidence that we will continue to outperform the broader market and achieve another increase in sales and profits.”
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