All Article articles – Page 211

  • Article

    BAUSCH & LOMB LAYS OFF 700 MORE PEOPLE AFTER A $8 MILLION LOSS IN THE 4th QUARTER

    2002-01-31T00:00:00Z

    Reflecting the general slowdown of the US economy, the company's revenues in the last quarter of 2001 were off 3 percent to $452 million, although the decline was limited to 1 percent at local currency rates. Sales of contact lenses fell by 4 percent, lens care products sales decreased 16 ...

  • Article

    Alain Afflelou Gets Ready for the Stock Exchange Alain...

    2002-01-31T00:00:00Z

    Alain Afflelou Gets Ready for the Stock Exchange Alain Afflelou, the French optical chain, is getting ready for a possible stockmarket introduction through Crédit Lyonnais, but company officials emphasize that a date has not yet been set. The flotation could help the chain to finance the planned development of ...

  • Article

    Allergan Will Split Its Business Into Two Separate Companies

    2002-01-31T00:00:00Z

    Citing fundamental differences between its two main product lines, the US company announced its decision to form an independent firm, Advanced Medical Optics, to take over by the middle of this year its entire non-pharmaceutical eye care business, consisting of contact lens solutions and other ophthalmic, surgical and contact lens ...

  • Article

    The Ysl Licence Has Gone To Safilo, And Sales Are Already Underway

    2002-01-31T00:00:00Z

    We had already anticipated this momentous deal, which has a duration of 5 years and which had been in the works for quite some time, but it's official now. Yves Saint Laurent's new owner, Gucci Group, probably wanted to wait for its announcement until Jan. 14, in connection with Saint ...

  • Article

    The European Sunglass Association has decided to postpone until next...

    2002-01-31T00:00:00Z

    The European Sunglass Association has decided to postpone until next year the implementation of a project to organize an annual meeting point and convention for the sunglass industry in Monte Carlo. Extended to buyers and to the whole fashion industry, the new event was going to take place next September. ...

  • Article

    Coopervision Buys Biocompatibles

    2002-01-31T00:00:00Z

    The concentration of the contact lens business is going on unabated, with specialty lens products becoming a nice prey in an otherwise slow-moving market. CooperVision, one of the strongest players in the sector, has now signed a definitive deal to take over the contact lens business of Biocompatibles International for ...

  • Article

    CIBA Vision is participating in the reorganization of the global...

    2002-01-31T00:00:00Z

    CIBA Vision is participating in the reorganization of the global contact lens business with the establishment of a new business unit for specialty lenses, where the company is seeking a stronger presence. Tim Barnabe, who has been CIBA Vision's finance controller, is heading up the new BU.

  • Article

    Kapunkt's Reorganization Is Completed

    2002-01-31T00:00:00Z

    The world's largest producer of better eyewear cases, Fedon, has now completed the reorganization of Kapunkt, the German firm acquired when the latter was on the verge of bankruptcy in 1999. The year 2001 marked the end of Kapunkt's losses in Germany, following a reduction in the German office's staff ...

  • Article

    De Rigo Grows Strongly In Luxury Sector

    2002-01-31T00:00:00Z

    The group's wholesale and manufacturing division continued to drive sales growth in 2001, posting a 27.1 percent increase to 133.6 million euros. In particular, sales of luxury and designer brands rose by 72.3 percent in value and by 31.6 percent in units. Besides its EID joint venture with Prada, which ...

  • Article

    Fielmann is opening its first Dutch store under the Fielmann...

    2002-01-31T00:00:00Z

    Fielmann is opening its first Dutch store under the Fielmann banner on Feb. 14 in Enschede, near the German border. The future Dutch stores of the German chain will all have the Fielmann sign and follow its low-price philosophy. As it had already done in Switzerland, Fielmann had previously bought ...

  • Article

    Exhibitors Take No Sides Yet In The Munich-cologne Sparring Match

    2002-01-31T00:00:00Z

    The ?duel? between the two German fairs goes on? The Opti München fair in Munich closed to a resounding success on Jan. 13. Only one month later, Optica in Cologne will try hard to re-establish its reputation, with a focus on ?Made in Germany? and a new, more efficient structure. ...

  • Article

    Vision Expo, to be held in New York on March...

    2002-01-31T00:00:00Z

    Vision Expo, to be held in New York on March 15-17, 2002, is dedicating a whole day this year (Saturday 16) to an analysis of the eyewear market in the current critical economic situation, with 4 theme-based round table discussions in which experts and executives will participate. The first of ...

  • Article

    Exporters To The Usa Are Required To Register With The Fda

    2002-01-31T00:00:00Z

    All non-US manufacturers of eyewear and components wishing to sell and distribute their products in the USA will be required to register their name and address with the Food and Drug Administration and choose an ad hoc agent in the USA. The new FDA regulation, which comes to effect on ...

  • Article

    Johnson & Johnson Has A New Top Management

    2002-01-31T00:00:00Z

    True to its tradition, the huge American conglomerate is not bringing in any outsiders into the cockpit. Johnson & Johnson's top management will change in April when William C. Weldon succeeds Ralph Larsen upon his retirement as the group's chairman and CEO. James T. Lenehan will become president and vice ...

  • Article

    Trenti Bucks The Trend With A 20% Sales Increase

    2001-12-28T00:00:00Z

    Trenti Industria Occhiali, Italy's oldest producer specializing in children's eyewear, was among the 8 winners of the traditional gold awards bestowed on the best exhibitors at the last Silmo fair in Paris. The company employs 45 people, and was founded in 1959 by its current owner, Walter Da Rin. ...

  • Article

    French Optic 2000 Retail Group Adopts Sap, Eyes Major Future Investments

    2001-12-28T00:00:00Z

    Celebrating its 1,000th affiliated store in one of Paris' most famous restaurants, the Optic 2000 buying group announced recently the start-up on Jan. 1 of a sophisticated SAP supply chain management system and other interesting projects. The new efficient response program will handle order entry, invoicing, logistics and other functions, ...

  • Article

    Coopervision Claims A 6.3% World Market Share In Contact Lenses

    2001-12-28T00:00:00Z

    CooperVision (CVI) expects to maintain good operating margins next year, although its gross margins will be reduced as distributors in France, Germany and Japan will generate a higher percentage of its total revenues. In the year ended last Oct. 31, this division, by far the biggest one within the Cooper ...

  • Article

    Italian Frame Exports Decline By 9%, But The Euro Is Opening Up New Horizons

    2001-12-28T00:00:00Z

    The negative economic cycle in some major markets, made worse by the recent terrorist and military events, has affected the Italian eyewear industry's exports this year. Frames have suffered badly, while the slowdown of the sunglass market has been softened by the fact that Luxottica has consolidated Ray-Ban's production into ...

  • Article

    Sichel & Sichel Acquires Platinum

    2001-12-28T00:00:00Z

    Sichel & Sichel and Platinum are both relatively small Italian firms with complementary activities in the eyewear sector. The former, which has belonged to the Sichel family in Padua for generations, has a strong distribution base and has the exclusive distribution in Italy of Berthet Bondet and others. Platinum is ...

  • Article

    Magma Buys Another Company And Gets The North Sails License

    2001-12-28T00:00:00Z

    Magma Italia has signed a licensing agreement with Tomasoni Topsail, the Italian company that markets the North Sails line of apparel, for the production and distribution of sports sunglasses under that brand name. Specialized sports eyewear, Magma already has the Blackflys, Tyr Sport and Quiksilver sports eyewear lines in its ...