Latest Headlines – Page 208
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Essilor Reports 7.3% Sales Growth For 9 Months
At 7.3 percent on a comparable basis, the growth rate reported by Essilor International today for the first 9 months of this year was exactly the same as in the first 6 months, and the momentum is expected to continue through the end of 2002. No details could be obtained ...
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Ciba Vision Has Mixed Results, New Ceo
Joseph Mallof is set to become the new CEO of CIBA Vision next week, replacing Glen Bradley who is retiring after 33 years with the company, ever since he joined the former Geigy Chemical in 1969. Under Bradley, sales have grown more than 14 times over. A former Proctor & ...
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Bausch & Lomb Improves Margins
The company's sales grew by 11 percent in the 3rd quarter to $466.7 million, but they would have risen by only 9 percent without favorable currency conversions. Net income declined to $9.4 million from $20.5 million, but excluding extraordinary items in the latest period, it would have risen to $26.1 ...
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Pearle Has Become Europe's Largest Optical Retailer - In A Way
Pearle Europe was already the largest one in terms of the number of stores, which have now increased to 1,140 units with the acquisition of 134 optical stores in Finland, 31 in Sweden, 14 in Estonia and one in Russia. These 180 stores, which trade under different banners, are all ...
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D&A's Supply Problems Depress The Results Of De Rigo, Which Gets The Furla License
The difficulties experienced by Dollond & Aitchison, the group's British retail chain, and by EID, its joint venture with Prada, weighed heavily on the group's first-half earnings, aggravating the consequences of a negative trend in sales. While De Rigo's consolidated turnover grew by only 1.7 percent to e274.1 million, its ...
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Alain Afflelou Records Slower Growth
The sales revenues of the franchised Alain Afflelou stores in France grew by only 1.8 percent to e95.2 million in the 1st quarter ended July 31, with a 1.9 percent increase on a comparable store basis. According to the company, the French optical market declined in May and June, leading ...
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Safilo Has Slower Growth, Despite The New Ysl Line, But Opens Paris Showroom
Safilo's turnover for the 1st half of 2002 amounted to e510.4 million, representing a relatively modest 5 percent year-on-year increase, considering that it had jumped by 23 percent for the full 12-month period of 2001. Profits have also lost their momentum, but remain positive in these decidedly difficult times. Operating ...
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Ennio De Rigo And Giuliano Tabacchi Are About To Land On The Emerald Coast
The two executives are considering reinvesting some of their profits from the eyewear sector into a large new hotel complex on Sardinia's Emerald Coast, one of the most prestigious sea resorts in the Mediterranean area. The new real estate development include 4 Luxury Connection hotels that are being sold by ...
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Marcolin's Earnings Decline
The group's consolidated gross margin actually improved in the 6 months ended June 30, going up to 38.1 percent from the 38.5 percent level of the same period a year ago. However, higher personnel charges, evidently related to the acquisition of Creative Optics in the USA, led to a decrease ...
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A Black Year For Visibilia ? Staff Cuts And Urgent Export Drive
In response to difficult times, Visibilia has restructured its manufacturing facilities. The Italian eyewear manufacturer has closed one of its factories, resulting in the loss of 25 jobs out of a total of 135. Located at Ponte, the factory that has been closed down made small parts. Visibilia has also ...
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Allison's Sales Are Up 37 Percent, Thanks Mainly To The Gianfranco Ferre Line
Allison contributed to the positive results of its parent company, IT Holding, a fashion group, which closed its first-half results for 2002 with sales up 26.1 percent to e312.8 million. The Italian eyewear manufacturer's first-half turnover of e34 million represented a 37 percent increase over the same period of last ...
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Marchon Takes Over The Distribution In France
Marchon has taken over the distribution in France, where it had a joint venture with two French executives, Francis Kessous and Guy Azoulay, who remain in the eyewear business with the Façonnable brand. The new French subsidiary, Marchon France, will continue to be based in Lyon, but it will ...
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Eschenbach Buys Brendel Brand And Launches Noves
The leading German eyewear company is integrating the internationally well-known Brendel brand into its own operations, but the conditions have not been finalized yet. Named after its designer, Ann-Kristin Brendel, who will continue to style it, the line has been strong in certain markets, such as the USA, and weaker ...
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Coopervision Benefits From The Integration Of Biocompatibles
The integration of Biocompatibles' eye care business, which was acquired by Cooper Companies last February, is running ahead of plan. It has already led to an improvement in Biocompatibles' gross margin to 61 percent from just over 50 percent thanks to better efficiencies, particularly in the UK where its Farnborough ...
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Ocular Sciences Improves As Well
Ocular Sciences' net income rose by 21 percent on a pro forma basis to $9,076,000 in the 2nd quarter ended July 30. Total revenues went up by 19 percent to $65.7 million, with organic growth of 14 percent. While US sales grew by 7 percent, sales outside the USA rose ...
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Esa's Training Guide Is A Big Success
The European Sunglass Association, which is working now more closely with its American counterpart on standards and other issues, is sold out with the first run of 10,000 copies of its Sunwear Training Guide. ESA put this nice and useful book out in 5 languages earlier this year to improve ...
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Pearle Sets A Foot Into Grandvision's Door
Holland American Trust, the main shareholder of Pearle Europe based in Bermuda, has gradually accumulated over the last 9 months a stake of about 5 percent in GrandVision, buying shares in the open market through various intermediate holdings. HAL put together a package of just over 5 percent, which obliged ...
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Grandvision's Ebit Margin Rises To 8.8%
The management is confident of being able to reach the previously set profitability targets, calling for operating margins before investments on store openings of 8 percent in 2002 and 10 percent in 2003. In the 6 months ended June 30, the margin was up to 8.8 percent from the 6.8 ...
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Fielmann Continues To Improve
Like other German optical retailers, Fielmann hesitates now to make a forecast for the balance of the year, in view of the country's difficult market situation, although discounters in other fields like Aldi or C&A are doing relatively well. Fielmann performed relatively well in the 2nd quarter, leading to a ...
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Specsavers Expands Rapidly In Holland And Grows Also In The Uk
Capitalizing on the publicity generated by its ?battle of Enschede? against Fielmann (see previous story and previous issue), Specsavers is expanding rapidly in the Netherlands where it is already the 3rd largest retailer after Hans Anders and Pearle Opticiens. The number of its Dutch stores, all held in partnership with ...
