Latest Headlines – Page 59
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ArticleGrandVision’s online booking plays key role in customer conversion
GrandVision continues to see lower retail traffic across its business as a result of higher consumer uncertainty. But, this is being offset by higher customer conversion driven by the underlying need for eyecare and brand loyalty, the Dutch eyewear retailer said in comments accompanying its first-half results. The online appointment ...
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Safilo’s full-year sales forecasts cut by analysts
After Safilo released weaker-than-expected second-quarter results, some financial analysts cut their forecasts for the full year. In the second quarter of 2020, Safilo registered a 54.0 percent decrease in sales to €114.5 million as a consequence of coronavirus-related lockdowns and travel restrictions. Thanks to a mid-single digit growth rate posted ...
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Hoya’s lenses revenues down 42% in Q1
Hoya Corporation’s performance was again severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic in the first quarter ended on June 30, particularly for its life care segment. The group reported quarterly revenues of 61.9 billion yen (€496,6m-$585.3m) for the segment, down by 34 percent in absolute terms from ¥93.8 billion in the ...
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ArticleEssilorLuxottica cautiously optimistic after Q2 sales halved
EssilorLuxottica is cautiously optimistic about the remainder of the year and expects its “transition on the way towards normalization” to continue in the third quarter after second-quarter revenues were nearly halved amid Covid-19 lockdowns. Yet given uncertainty on the evolution of the pandemic, with local lockdowns already re-imposed in some ...
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Safilo signals moderate decline in Q3 sales despite July rebound
Safilo warned that it could suffer a moderate decline in sales in the third quarter, despite the rebound experienced in July and the contribution of its new acquisitions Privé Revaux and Blenders, that propped up sales in the first half. The company is also negotiating with creditor banks a “significant” ...
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ArticleGrandVision starts arbitration proceedings against EssilorLuxottica
GrandVision has initiated arbitration proceedings against EssilorLuxottica’s claims that the Dutch retailer had breached its obligations under the co-called “Support Agreement” in managing its business during the Covid-19 pandemic. GrandVision reiterated that it strongly disagrees with EssilorLuxottica’s accusations. It added that it has initiated the arbitration to obtain confirmation that ...
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ArticleSilmo Paris is cancelled but goes on tour
The organizers of Silmo Paris have announced the cancellation of the 2020 edition, scheduled for Oct. 2-5, following in the footsteps of Vision Expo West most recently and of all other major trade shows this year since February. The decision was jointly taken by the Silmo executive board and its ...
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ArticleEU suspends deadline for probe into Essilux’s takeover of GrandVision
The European Commission has suspended the deadline for the end of an in-depth investigation into EssilorLuxottica’s proposed €7.2 billion takeover of GrandVision, according to a filing on its website. The commission has repeatedly postponed the deadline. The last one being August 27. The proposed deal, referred to as case M.9569, ...
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ArticleCirillo Marcolin takes over presidency of Confindustria Moda
As planned, Cirillo Marcolin has taken over the rotating presidency of Confindustria Moda, the umbrella organization of the Italian fashion industry, replacing Claudio Marenzi. Confindustria Moda comprises Sistema Moda Italia (SMI), which groups the textile and apparel firms operating in the country; Assocalzaturifici, the shoemakers’ association; Assopellettieri, formerly called Aimpes, ...
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Big drop in revenues drives Sun Hing in the red
Sun Hing, the Hong-Kong based eyewear company, registered a sharp drop in revenues for its financial year ended on March 31, with overall sales of 912.8 million HK dollars (€102.9m-$117.7m), down by 25.5 percent from HK$ 1,223.9 million a year earlier. Gross profit margin was down by 4.1 percentage points ...
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ArticleThe Russian eyewear market is recovering but the outlook remains bleak
After having slumped by 30 percent year-on-year in the first five months of 2020, based on data released by the research institute GfK, the Russian eyewear market is showing signs of recovery, although the pace varies from region to region and the outlook remains bleak, according to Victor Gordeychyuk, ...
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ArticleEssilorLuxottica sues GrandVision over Covid-19 disclosure
EssilorLuxottica has initiated legal proceedings before a district court in Rotterdam to obtain information from GrandVision regarding the management of its business during the Covid-19 pandemic and the extent to which it has allegedly ”breached its obligations under the support agreement.” The Franco-Italian eyewear company, which made a €7.2 ...
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Antares eyes distressed Italian fashion assets
Italian private equity and debt-management group Antares is launching a new fund targeting investments among the country’s small and mid-sized financially-struggling fashion companies, whose ranks have grown with the Covid-19 pandemic. Antares has already raised €50 million in fresh cash for its “luxury and lifestyle” turnaround fund, largely with Italian ...
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JINS’ revenues down by 38 percent in Q3
Revenues were down by 37.8 percent year-on-year to 10,303 million yen (€84.2m-$96.2m) in the third quarter ended on May 31 for JINS, the Japanese-based low-cost optical retail chain. The company, which was able to maintain a good momentum in the previous quarter, was more severely hit in the third quarter ...
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ArticleUK industry unites around 100% Optical after Optrafair cancellation
The Federation of Manufacturing Opticians (FMO), together with the show organizer MA Exhibitions, have decided to cancel Optrafair 2020, which was due to take place Sept 19-21, at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England, due to the continued uncertainty surrounding events as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. FMO ...
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ArticleOnly a quarter of U.K. companies are ready for Brexit
Only 24 percent of U.K. business leaders believe that their businesses are fully ready for the end of the Brexit transition period, which concludes on Dec. 31, according to a survey by the Institute of Directors (IoD). According to the survey, 19 percent of respondents said that they are ...
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ArticleEU may ask Essilux to sell stores in GrandVision deal
The European Commission may ask EssilorLuxottica to sell stores in Italy and another EU country, either France or the Netherlands, to secure its planned 7.2 billion euro acquisition of GrandVision, according to the newspaper Financial Times. But the company has not yet committed to selling shops as it argues that ...
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ArticleInspecs takes over Norville’s manufacturing operations
(Update) Inspecs has bought the manufacturing operations of The Norville Group that was placed into administration after becoming insolvent. The assets were bought from the administrator, BDO LLP, for £2.4 million in cash (€2.6m-$3.0m). The acquisition includes £1.2 million (€1.3m-$1.5m) of freehold property for Norville’s Gloucester site and the remainder ...
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ArticleThe EU extends deadline for Essilux-GrandVision probe to Aug. 20
Once again the the European Commission has pushed back the deadline for completion of its in-depth anti-trust investigation into EssilorLuxottica’s planned €7.2 billion takeover of GrandVision, according to a filing on its website. The deadline was postponed by a week, or five working days, to Aug. 20 from Aug. 13 ...
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ArticleVision Expo West cancelled due to Covid-19 uncertainty
The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions, the organizers of Vision Expo, have decided to cancel Vision Expo West 2020, that was scheduled to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Sept. 23 to 26 due to ongoing concern about the coronavirus pandemic. The decision comes after the governor of Nevada, ...
