Mister Spex earmarks IPO cash for growth as H1 sales rise 25%
German-based omnichannel retailer Mister Spex has reported a 25 percent rise in first-half revenue to €101 million and said it was earmarking at least half of its IPO raising to fund growth.
Brand heritage and international expansion drive Revo growth
Revo, the American brand of high-end polarized sunglasses, is launching Revo Black, a new collection showcasing the brand’s latest developments in both lens and frame technologies. The new range includes three concepts – one featuring a carbon fiber frame, one with a titanium wire frame for the lightest Revo sunglass ...
New investor and strategic focus on Asia for Fitting Box
FittingBox, the French-based provider of virtual try on (VTO) systems and other digital solutions, just announced that JINS, the fast-growing Japanese retail chain, had become a shareholder of the company. The investment by JINS allowed earlier financial investors, mainly French venture capital funds Kreaxi and LBO France that have been ...
Shift in the financing of optical expenses in France
The Direction de la recherche, des études, de l’évaluation et des statistiques (Drees), the French administration in charge of national research and statistics, released last week its annual report on healthcare expenses in the country.
DaTE participation up 50% vs. 2020
The last edition of the DaTE trade fair, which was held in Florence, Italy, from Sept. 11 to 13, brought a feeling of recovery of the international market as compared to the 2020 show when the Covid-19 vaccination campaign was yet to start.
New owners for Maison JEAN-FRANÇOIS REY
Jean-François Rey, founder and CEO of Maison JEAN-FRANÇOIS REY, has decided to hand over the control of his company as well as his executive responsibilities to a Franco-German trio of seasoned eyewear managers, Walter Pirinoli, Dan Levi and Ralf Kmoch who have acquired a third of the company’s capital each.
Warby Parker unveils growth strategy
Just a few weeks after filing its IPO registration documents to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in which the company disclosed its financial results for the past three years, Warby Parker released an online presentation for investors. During the two-hour long pre-recorded video, founders and co-CEOs Neil Blumenthal ...
Facebook and Ray-Ban launch their first smart eyewear
About a year after they first announced their partnership, Facebook and Ray-Ban presented last Thursday their first range of smart glasses, called Ray-Ban Stories. Based on the most popular Ray-Ban designs, including the iconic Wayfarer and Wayfarer Large, and available in five color variations, the Ray-Ban Stories embark an optimized ...
Inspecs eyes new buys as H1 profits, revenue surge
British eyewear designer and lens manufacturer Inspecs is on the hunt for new acquisitions after a surge in interim revenue and core earnings driven by the first full contribution from its German Eschenbach division.
Hawkers opens 1st Spanish factory
Hawkers Group, a Spanish-based brand of sunglasses, has announced last week the launch of a new collection of sunglasses Made in Spain, following the opening in February of its first factory in Spain, located at its headquarters of Elche, near Alicante. The group addresses the entry level segment of the ...
Sustainability: the demo lenses’ challenge (part 1)
While the eyewear industry’s sustainability efforts have mostly focused on the use of eco-friendly or recycled material for the frames so far, the disposal of demo lenses, which end up in landfills for the most part, remains one of the sector’s main issues and still largely untackled because of its ...
INVISION FIT 3D-centering platform adds value to ECP services
HORIZONS OPTICAL, the Spanish-based provider of lens designs, coatings and services for the ophthalmic lab will be showcasing INVISION FIT, its new 3D-centering system, at the next Silmo show in Paris from Sept. 24 to 27 (Hall 5a Stand H032).
Fast-growing Cooper gears up for MiSight launch
Cooper Companies reported a 32 percent year-on-year revenue increase for the third quarter of its current financial year to a total of $763 million with a solid performance in both its CooperVision and CooperSurgical divisions, which respectively grew by 24 percent to $557.5 million and by 60 percent to $205.9 ...
Kits sales up 21%, ramps up eyeglass business
Kits Eyecare, a Canadian-based online retailer of contact lenses, eyeglasses and sunglasses that went public at the start of this year, reported a 21 percent year-on-year increase in H1 revenues to $42.1 million. On a constant currency basis, total sales went up by 28 percent as compared to the same ...
Marchon on track for a record year
Unlike other major players in the eyewear industry that are public listed, Marchon Eyewear is not publishing its results but Nicola Zotta, CEO of the U.S. eyewear manufacturer, agreed to share some information with Eyewear Intelligence on the company’s performance and projects.
