All Italy articles
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Marcolin joins Altagamma
Marcolin has joined the Altagamma Foundation, an organization that, by its own definition, promotes Italian excellence, uniqueness and lifestyle worldwide. Founded in 1992, Altagamma has a membership of 115 companies operating at the high end of a variety of sectors, such as fashion, design, jewelry, food, hospitality, automotive and yachts. ...
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Fielmann remains committed to Italian market after closures announcement
After reports in the Italian press at the end of last year that Fielmann was preparing to shut down 11 of its 54 stores in the country, the German-based retail group confirmed some closures but remains intent on developing its network in the country. “Fielmann reaffirms commitment to the Italian ...
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New Salmoiraghi & Viganò store highlights Essilux retail sustainability program
EssilorLuxottica has announced that its new Salmoiraghi & Viganò store opened in Milan at the end of last year was being considered for the WELL certification, a standard that “creates and certifies spaces that advance human health and well-being” according to the organization’s website. The new shop, located in the ...
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Jimmy Fairly enters Italy and Spain
As previously announced, Jimmy Fairly is pursuing its international expansion strategy with the opening of its first shop in both Spain (Barcelona) and Italy (Milan) in the last few weeks. The direct-to-consumer brand, which was founded in 2011 and taken over by a French private equity fund ten years later, ...
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ANFAO taps Lorraine Berton as new president
Lorraine Berton has been elected as the new president of Italian eyewear association ANFAO, becoming the first woman to hold the position and succeeding Giovanni Vitaloni, who had served as president since 2017. Berton will lead the association for the next four years. Berton is the co-owner along with her ...
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An optical center in 15 minutes and a new investor for Vision Group
Vision Group, one of Italy’s leading eyewear retailers, aims to expand its domestic footprint further before looking at eventual growth opportunities further afield. Marco Procacciante, CEO, talked to Eyewear Intelligence about Vision Group’s growth plans, which are aimed at serving 85 percent of the Italian population with a VisionOttica store ...
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Charmant partners with Fapi Group in Italy
Charmant Group has announced the signature of an exclusive distribution agreement for Italy with Fapi Group. Initially focusing on the contact lenses’ market, Fapi Group has progressively developed a portfolio of eyeglasses and sunglasses’ brands, most notably through its partnership with Menrad. The Italian company is distributing Charmant’s house brands ...
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Italian consortium OTTIMI reaches over 200 optical shops
OTTIMI, the Italian consortium launched in February 2022 with the aim of promoting the optical sector and “safeguarding opticians” working outside of the large multinationals, said it now counts over 200 optical centers across Italy as members. OTTIMI considers its flagship product to be the training programs it offers to ...
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ANFAO unveils restricted substances list, elects new president of lens group
Italian eyewear association ANFAO and its majority-owned certification subsidiary Certottica on Oct. 13 unveiled their first Product Restricted Substances List (PRLS) for eyewear. According to ANFAO, the list will be constantly updated and is meant to be a “clear and effective” handbook covering product conformity parameters in the main international ...
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Italian eyewear exports maintain momentum in Q2
ANFAO, the Italian eyewear industry association, has reported a 15.7 percent year-on-year increase in Italian eyewear exports to €2,840 million for the first half of 2023 as sales in Q2 roughly maintained the 16.7 percent growth reported for Q1. As reflected in the table below, the momentum was driven by ...
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News briefs
Italian exports maintained double-digit growth pace in Q1
The Italian eyewear industry association ANFAO released preliminary exports’ data for the first quarter of 2023 at its general assembly held at the end of last week in Verona. Italian exports in Q1 were up 16.7 percent year-on-year to €1,388 million, decelerating slightly from the 22.5 percent growth reported ...
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Italy’s Anfao, unions agree on new labor contract
The Italian eyewear trade association Anfao reached an agreement with trade union representatives on the terms of a new contract affecting the approximately 18,000 workers in Italy’s eyewear industry and covering the 2023-2025 period. The contract foresees a gradual increase in average monthly salaries over the three years, which will ...
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Italy issues €50 contribution for purchase of eyeglasses, contact lenses
Italy is issuing a €50 voucher or reimbursement for the purchase of prescription eyewear and contact lenses for low-income people who request the contribution on a new digital platform. Individuals can ask for the “Bonus Vista” starting May 5, while eyewear sellers have been able to register stores participating in ...
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A wind-powered Essilux
EssilorLuxottica has signed a 12-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with ERG Power Generation in Italy. Taking effect this year, the contract covers the provision of about 900 GWh of electricity from renewable sources, or about 75 percent of production at ERG’s Partinico-Monreale plant, near Palermo. The plant is replacing all ...
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GFK sees French market up 5% in 2022
GFK delivered a mixed picture for the European market during its presentation at the annual conference of the Club Inter-Optiques, a French-based industry association, last Friday. The research company’s data is based on sell-out figures collected at a panel of optical shops in the different countries. As shown in the ...
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ANFAO turns focus to costs after exports jumped in 2022
Just a few days ahead of the 2023 edition of MIDO, Italian eyewear industry association ANFAO released preliminary data for 2022 that broadly confirmed the contrasted picture given last December, between booming exports and a flattish domestic market. Production value of Italian eyewear increased by 24.0 percent year-on-year to €5,171 ...
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Five Italian suppliers create new consortium
Five Italian suppliers of optical products and services have joined forces in a new consortium aimed at “promoting the sector and safeguarding opticians”. Called OTTIMI, for Ottica Made in Italy, the organization regroups Eurocrom 4 (press, graphics, packaging), Filab (ophthalmic lenses), Safilens (contact lens technology), TutorNET (software and tools for ...
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ANFAO worried about eyewear SMEs with energy crisis
According to the Italian Eyewear Industry Association (ANFAO), the cost of energy – historically about 5 percent of an eyewear company’s expenditures – has risen to the point of becoming difficult to deal with. “This crisis is no longer limited to energy but has become global, and it has once ...
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News briefs
Nidek switching to direct medical distribution in Italy
NIDEK, the Japanese-based maker of ophtalmology and lens-edging equipment, has acquired 90 percent of the shares of NIDEK MEDICAL, its Italian distributor for the medical field, from Guido Battarra, the company’s managing director. The operation was made through NIDEK TECHNOLOGIES, the group’s Italian subsidiary dealing with research and development and ...
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French market up 1.4% vs 2019 despite headwinds
In an online conference for the members of the French-based industry association Club Inter-Optiques last week, GFK released some key indicators on the performance of the French optical market in 2021, also providing some comparison points with the German, Spanish and Italian markets. The research company’s data is based on ...