After 10 years with the Edgars group where he was an Area Manager, Merchandise Controller, Research Manager and Group Strategic Planning Manager, Douglas left to start his own consulting business specializing in market research and strategic retail planning at the end of 1978.

Douglas founded the Retailers Liaison Committee in 1977 and co-ordinated that body for 7 years. He has been closely involved with the Bureau of Market Research at UNISA for 35 years and is Chairman of various Projects Committees. He is regularly a guest lecturer at the University of Cape Town, and has served on the National committee of SAMRA.

Douglas’s main interest lies in statistical modeling techniques for analyzing and predicting consumer behaviour and optimizing retail store performance. He developed DPA’s Consumer Lifestyle model - a 3 dimensional segmentation approach using lifestages, lifeplanes and psychographics; as well as the Market Evaluation model for predicting store and shopping centre market potentials.

He has presented technical papers at ESOMAR Retail Conferences in Europe, as well as at SAMRA, SAPOA, SACSC, SAITRP and Media Planners conferences in South Africa.