All Distribution articles
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News briefs
Charmant downsizes European operations with German site closure
Japanese eyewear maker Charmant has informed its clients that it will discontinue the operations of CHARMANT GmbH Europe, its German subsidiary, along with its Benelux representation, effective September 30, 2026. New orders will be accepted only until August 14. The move, however, does not signal a total retreat from Europe. ...
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Sponsored articleOptiswiss seeks distribution and franchise partners as consolidation reshapes lens manufacturing
As lens production keeps gathering under a few global owners, Basel’s Optiswiss is going the other way: the independent Swiss manufacturer is looking for experienced distributors and franchise laboratories to carry its lenses into new markets, starting at Silmo 2026.
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Coburn Technologies appoints distributor for the UK and Europe
Coburn Technologies, the lens processing equipment division of SDC Technologies, itself a branch of Mitsui Chemicals, has appointed VeroCore Business Solutions (VBS) as a distributor for its consumables and coatings in the UK and Western Europe. VBS will also represent Coburn Technologies’ surfacing equipment lines in these markets, while the ...
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Cutler and Gross partners with Europa Eyewear for distribution in North America
Cutler and Gross, the British independent luxury eyewear brand, is partnering with Europa Eyewear for the exclusive distribution of its collections in the US and Canada. In a rather unusual move, Cutler and Gross’ existing North American sales team will transition with the brand from Marchon, its previous partner, to ...
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MiÓptico acquires Cecop’s French business
MiÓptico has acquired the business of Cecop in France, Modas en Gafas first reported. With these additional 400 independent opticians, the buying group will exceed 1,000 members. Founded in 2017 by Florent Carrière, a French optician with previous experiences at Carrefour optical stores and Afflelou, MiÓptico operates both as a ...
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Rodenstock acquires Croatian longtime distribution partner
Rodenstock has acquired DEA Lens Project and NI-VA Lens, its longtime partners in Croatia and the leading suppliers of lenses and optical devices in Croatia, according to the company. The German-based lens manufacturer stressed that the move would help accelerating its expansion in Eastern Europe. DEA Lens Project’s equipment portfolio ...
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ArticleMeta reportedly renouncing the launch of its AR glasses in the EU, for now
Meta is, for now, renouncing the launch of its Meta Ray‑Ban Display AR glasses in the European Union (EU), according to an anonymous source “with knowledge of the situation” quoted in a Bloomberg article last week. In January, Meta officially announced a pause in the rollout of the product outside ...
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ArticleCECOP celebrates 30th anniversary with 7% growth in 2025
Spanish-based optical buying group CECOP celebrated its 30th anniversary on Feb. 28 and March 1 during its annual EXPOCECOP event, where it brought together 170 of its 6,000 members. The company operates in 6 countries with at least 1,000 members in all markets but Italy and Portugal (see table). ...
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News briefs
ZEISS partners with practice management service provider in the US
Zeiss Vision Care US has become the exclusive laboratory and service provider of Medical Eyeglass Center (MEC), an optical dispensary management supplier partnering with approximately 200 practices across the country. Also, MEC will serve as the exclusive optical dispensary management organization aligned with ZEISS within participating practices, the press release ...
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ArticleRudy Project ready for strong US push
Rudy Project has acquired 100 percent of Rudy Project North America in a move to accelerate its international expansion through direct control of its strategic markets, the company has announced. Founded in 1998 by Brad Shapiro and other eyewear and sport industry entrepreneurs, the California-based distribution company has been working ...
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Red Bull Spect Eyewear goes for dual-channel distribution in the US
Michael Pachleitner Group is implementing a dual-channel distribution structure in the US. Brillen Eyes will represent the brand in the optical distribution channel, focusing on independent and specialty optical retailers. Eyeporters, Brillen Eyes’ sister company, will handle the distribution to national chains, sporting goods retailers and mass market accounts. “The ...
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IXI finds early distribution partners in France
Ixi, the Finnish-based tech startup, has signed a letter of intent with Vizio, a French retail player boasting a 3,000-shop network, for the distribution of its autofocus glasses. The product is still in the prototyping phase, but it has already raised a lot of interest in the industry. Its launch ...
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L’Amy America and Grosfilley sign both-ways distribution partnership
L’Amy America is the new distributor of French-based eyewear maker Grosfilley’s brands in North America, including Lancel and Charriol, both companies said in a statement last week. The agreement also provides for select L’Amy brands to be distributed by Grosfilley in France and other European markets. The partnership extends “beyond ...
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Izipizi signs US distribution partnership for the design/gift sector
IZIPIZI, the French-based brand of readers and other non-prescription eyewear, is partnering with Aesthetic Movement (A/M), a well-established agency in the design and gift sector, for the distribution of its products to design stores, gift shops, interior stores, concept stores, museums and bookstore across the US. Other brands in A/M ...
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CooperVision partners with logistics company for new Asia-Pacific hub
CEVA Logistics, a France-headquartered third-party logistics supplier, is partnering with CooperVision (CVI) for the opening of a new regional service center in CEVA’s healthcare facility in the free trade zone near Singapore’s Changi airport. Aimed at accelerating the contact lens company’s growth in the Asia Pacific region and making about ...
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ArticleEssilux takes a local approach to the Chinese smart glasses market
EssilorLuxottica is using an existing deal to probe the market for smart eyewear in China, where, as the company tells us, the focus is on Chinese tech and the preferences of Chinese customers. To align its products and marketing accordingly, it appears that Essilux is for now setting aside any ...
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Marcolin opens showroom in Barcelona
Marcolin inaugurated its Barcelona showroom on Nov. 18, 2025, with guests including representatives from the Spanish press, clients, partners and local institutions. “This space represents an important step in strengthening our commercial presence in the Spanish and Southern European markets, in line with the Group’s global vision and following our ...
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Lenskart launches Meller in India
Lenskart has announced that it is launching Meller, the Spanish direct-to-consumer eyewear brand in which it bought an 80 percent stake for €45 million earlier this year, in about 500 of its Indian stores. According to the group, Meller revenue amounted to 2.7 billion rupees (€26.5m) in fiscal 2025 (ended ...
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Mondottica partners with DEG for distribution in Germany and Austria
Mondottica Group has appointed Design Eyewear Group (DEG) as new distribution partners in Germany and Austria for its Hackett, Pepe Jeans London, Scotch & Soda and Ted Baker brands. The new agreement follows the bankruptcy of Menrad Group, with which Mondottica was associated in a joint venture for the distribution ...
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ArticleOptiswiss accelerates its international development
Lens manufacturer Optiswiss announced earlier this month the signature of an exclusive franchise partnership agreement with Aynai Optical for the Saudi Arabian market. The company will manufacture and sell Optiswiss lenses, using the Swiss brand’s lens designs in the factory it launched in 2024 and equipped with machines from Schneider ...
