Latest Headlines – Page 115
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Charity cycle rides in the U.K.
A series of cycling challenges have been boosting donations to charities in the U.K. this summer. A British optometrist, Gordon Ilett, cycled 500 miles from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, via the Pyrenees, and raised £520 (€616-$832) for the fundraising initiative “Optoms Cycling for Sight.” Sponsored by Zeiss, the initiative, now ...
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No growth in the European market since 2008
Overall, the total volume of ophthalmic lenses sold in the last four years has not grown at all in the four major European countries, according to SWW Strategy with Vision (SWV). Mark Mackenzie, who heads up the international consultancy, predicts that the volume will increase at an average annual rate ...
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Leading online retailer may go public
Prescription Eyewear, the British company behind Glasses Direct and other online retail operations, is re-branding itself as MyOptique Group, using the name of its website for luxury eyewear. It also has hired an adviser to review new strategic financing options including a potential future stock exchange listing.In addition to Glasses ...
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B. Robinson licenses Revo from its new owners
B. Robinson is more or less doubling in size by taking on the global license for Revo sunglasses and related products. The deal follows the acquisition of the Revo brand from Oakley and its parent company, Luxottica, by an American firm, Sequential Brand Group, that specializes in marketing and licensing ...
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Europe was a ‘superstar’ in Luxottica’s second quarter
“I would list Europe as the region which has been a superstar,” said Andrea Guerra, chief executive of Luxottica in a conference call with financial analysts while commenting on the regional spread of the group's sales in the second quarter. After several tough quarters, the strong rebound of European markets, ...
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Vedovotto’s exit hits Safilo’s results
The departure of Safilo's chief executive, Roberto Vedovotto, affected the group's second-quarter results. The group reported non-recurring pre-tax charges of €7.4 million for the quarter, €6.0 million of which were related to the manager's exit and €1.4 million to the restructuring of its European business. Vedovotto announced his resignation on ...
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Essilor expects a payoff for 100% of Transitions
(This article is the same that we have posted in an e-mail blast to our subscribers when the news was announced) Essilor International has announced a widely expected agreement to buy the 51 percent stake it does not have in Transitions Optical from PPG Industries, as well as PPG's 100 ...
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Hoya has regained market share, partly aided by discounts
In terms of local currencies, Hoya's sales of eyeglass lenses were up by about 20 percent in Europe, Japan and the rest of Asia in the first quarter of its financial year, ended June 30, as compared to the same period a year ago. These were the areas where its ...
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The London show scene heats up again
Britain's Association of Optometrists (AOP) has partnered with a national trade magazine, Optometry Today (OT), to support 100% Optical, a new eyewear show scheduled to be held in London on Feb. 16-18, 2014. The AOP is set to provide the contents for a continuous education program for its members during the ...
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A.T. Cross will concentrate on eyewear
A.T. Cross, which markets the Costa and Native brands of eyewear, signed last July 13 a definitive agreement to sell its Cross Accessory Division to a newly formed affiliate of Clarion Capital Partners, for a cash price of $60 million. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of ...
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Spy reports higher sales and margins
The Spy brand enjoyed a sales increase of 7 percent to $10.0 million in the second quarter ended June 30, representing the ninth consecutive year-on-year improvement. For the parent company, Spy Inc., sales were up by 6 percent to the same level of $10.0 million as the company had no ...
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Small increase in U.S. optical business rating
The overall rating of the U.S. optical business environment was 3.69 in June, up from May's rating of 3.65, according to the Optical Business Barometer compiled by Jobson Optical Research. Comparatively, the rating stood at 3.70 in June 2012, 3.62 in June 2011 and 3.43 in June 2010. For the ...
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Specsavers’ growth slows down
The growth in Specsavers' total revenues slowed down during the financial year ended last February. Global sales went up by 6.9 percent to about £1.8 billion (€2.1bn-$2.7bn), compared with increases of 10.3 percent in 2010/11 and 10.9 percent in 2011/12. On the other hand, the company says in its annual ...
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Changing of the guard at Safilo
The board of directors of Safilo Group decided last month to appoint one of its non-executive directors, Luisa D. Delgado, as the company's new chief executive, replacing Roberto Vedovotto. She will formally take over the position on Oct. 15, but she will join the group already on Sept. 15. Company officials ...
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Safilo strengthens its collaboration with the LVMH group
Shortly before the appointment of a new chief executive for the company, Safilo announced that it has become the licensee for sunglasses and optical frames of Fendi, the famous Rome-based fashion house bought by LVMH many years ago. The deal, which runs through 2022, takes the place of the contract ...
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Essilor acquires 50% of Polycore
After announcing an interesting licensing deal with Polaroid Eyewear (see our previous issue), Essilor is consolidating its development in the sun lens segment, which is growing around twice as fast as the corrective lens market, with the acquisition of a 50 percent stake in Polycore Optical, one of the world's ...
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Essilor signs eight other new partnerships
Before reporting yesterday on its acquisition of a 50 percent stake in Polycore Optical, Essilor International announced eight other new deals to acquire stakes in operations in the U.S., Brazil, South Africa, India and Asia representing a combined value of around €30 million in annual revenues.In the sun lenses segment, ...
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Italia Independent floats on the Milan stock exchange
After its successful launch a few days ago on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the Milan Stock Exchange, Italia Independent is already targeting its quotation on the main counter of the Italian Bourse 18 months from now, provided it continues to perform well. The chances look good as the ...
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New change at the top of Logo
Richard Vives, the French entrepreneur who took over the Logo Group in 2011 with another investor, has taken over the position of chief executive from Pascal Brouard, whom he had appointed to the position after the takeover. Vives, who is also involved in automotive distribution, remains chairman of the French ...
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New head for Oakley Europe
We understand that another Frenchman, Olivier Cantet, has taken the place of Frank Heissat as vice president and general manager of Oakley for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who has left the company after three years to run a French sportswear brand, Le Coq Sportif. Like Heissat, Cantet ...
