All articles by Pierre-Marie Bernard – Page 2
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ArticleIXI ramps up autofocus glasses supply chain
IXI, the Finnish-based start-up developing autofocus glasses, has announced two major initiatives meant to accelerate its development and prepare for the commercial launch of its product. As previously reported, the company raised $36 million from private equity firms and Amazon Alexa Fund among others earlier this year. ...
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ArticleFielmann details 2030 strategic plan at Capital Markets Day
Following the announcement of the main lines of its 2030 strategic plans in July, Fielmann Group released more details on how it plans to reach the new targets at a Capital Markets Day (CMD) held last week. As we have already reported, the German-based retail group is planning to increase ...
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Article1.2m subscribers and 90 new stores among Synsam Group’s midterm targets update
Synsam Group, the leading optical retailer in Northern Europe, announced new mid-term financial and operational targets at a Capital Markets Day (CMD) earlier this week. The first focus point for the group in its presentation was Synsam Lifestyle (SL), its subscription service for eyeglasses. As we previously reported, ...
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ArticleInspecs posts weak H1 results, appoints new non-executive Chair
Releasing detailed results for its business in H1 2025, INSPECS Group confirmed that its revenue declined by 3.0 percent year on year to £97.6 million (€112.4m) in the period, as communicated in the group’s trading update last month. At constant exchange rates, H1 sales declined by 1.3 percent. These results ...
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ArticleJapan’s top retailer builds 'open factory' to tackle procurement issues and 'transmit the joy of craftsmanship'
Megane Ichiba, Japan’s leading optical retailer under the Megane Top brand, is investing 4.4 billion Japanese yen (€25m) in the extension of its manufacturing plant in Sabae, Fukui prefecture. The group stressed that its investment was aimed at both tackling procurement issues and revitalizing the region. The construction of the ...
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ArticleKering Eyewear and Valentino sign eyewear license as parent companies reframe acquisition deal
Kering Eyewear and Valentino, an Italian fashion brand owned by the Qatari investment fund Mayhoola, have announced the signature of a global eyewear license agreement. Effective Jan. 1, 2026, the eyewear subsidiary of French luxury group Kering will develop and distribute Valentino-branded sun and optical collections. “We are delighted to ...
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ArticleAmazon to join the AR glasses fray
Amazon is developing two AR glasses for two different use cases, The Information has first reported after speaking with people close to the matter. “Amelia”, the first model, is aimed at the online retail giant’s delivery drivers and will probably focus on itinerary guidance. It will reportedly be ready for ...
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ArticleJEH slows down as inbound tourists’ buying spree subsides
JEH Holdings, the Japanese-based operator of the Kaneko Optical and 999.9 optical retail chains, has reported a 6.9 percent increase in sales to 4.7 billion Japanese yen (€27m) for the quarter ended July 31, confirming the company’s slowdown in recent months. Sales for the first six months of FY 2026 ...
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ArticleTopcon Healthcare steps into mental health diagnosis with new investment
Topcon Healthcare is making a strategic investment in Senseye, a US-based start-up “developing the first mental health diagnostic platform powered by ocular biomarkers,” according to the official statement. “Topcon Healthcare’s investment is more than capital, it is validation from a global leader in digital health technology that the eye holds ...
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ArticleVSP Vision acquires Marcolin
VSP Vision, parent company of Marchon Eyewear, is acquiring Marcolin from PAI Partners and minority shareholders, the US vision care group announced in a statement last Friday. “The addition of Marcolin is another example of our commitment to purposeful growth that will provide greater value for VSP members, ...
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ArticleZoff owner doubles doorcount to 620 with M&A deal
Intermestic, the Japanese group behind the Zoff optical retail chain, has announced the full acquisition of Visionary Holdings, the operator of Megane Super, another retail chain with 300 stores in the country. Intermestic is reportedly investing 19.1 billion Japanese yen (€110m) in the operation, which is expected to complete on ...
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Article“It seems the industry is ripe for change,” Flō Optics CEO
Things went relatively fast for Flō Optics. Only 15 months after the Israeli-based startup first showcased its optical coatings 3D printing technology at Vision Expo West in November 2023, it announced a $35 million Series A funding round, including from several eyewear industry players. However, when we sat down with ...
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ArticleFielmann enters new HQ on a strong footing
Fielmann Group has confirmed that its consolidated sales for the first half of 2025 increased by 12.3 percent to €1,224 million, in line with the preliminary results announced in July together with the company’s 2030 strategic plan. We focus in this article on the new financial information released by the ...
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ArticleAll eyes on margins at Mister Spex as sales nosedive
Mister Spex revenue dropped by 21.7 percent to €52.9 million in Q2 2025, sharply accelerating its fall from the previous quarter (-12.5 percent). “The decline in revenue is the result of a deliberate strategic choice to prioritize profitability and cost efficiency over pure volume growth,” Mister Spex wrote in its ...
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ArticleCooperVision slows down in Q3 despite strong EMEA showing
CooperCompanies has reported a 6 percent year-over-year increase in Q3 revenue to $716.4 million for its CooperVision (CVI) business. In constant currencies, CVI sales were up by 2 percent in the quarter, below the company’s expectations and slowing down sharply from the 7 percent growth reported for the previous quarter. ...
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ArticleEssilux ups stake in Nikon again, but further steps will require Japan’s green light
Bis repetita, but with a stronger magnitude this time. On Oct. 7 last year, Nikon’s stock value jumped by 8 percent as it emerged from an official filing at a regional finance bureau that EssilorLuxottica had increased its stake in the Japanese group to 5.10 percent. Yesterday (Aug. 27), it ...
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ArticleUS tele-optometry kiosks startup gets $20m cash injection
Eyebot, the US company developing a platform combining self-service vision test kiosks with remote eye doctor prescriptions, has announced that it has raised $20 million in Series A funding, with global private equity fund General Catalyst as the round leader. AlleyCorp, Bauskunst, Village Global and Ubiquity Investors, all returning investors, ...
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ArticleMixed results in Q2 for Synsam Group
Synsam Group Q2 revenue increased by 6.9 percent year on year to 1,841 million Swedish crowns (€165m), slowing down sharply from the 12.3 percent growth reported in the previous quarter. The deceleration was mostly attributable to the group’s business in Denmark that is increasingly impacted by consumer credit regulation changes. ...
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ArticleA closer look under Lenskart’s hood
As we reported at the end of July, India-based Lenskart’s long-rumored IPO is now well on track as the Indian retail group filed its so-called red herring prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Bord of India (SEBI). While we have mostly relied on unofficial information and leaks to the Indian ...
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ArticleRay-Ban Meta drives 110% jump in global smart glasses shipment, AI polarization
Global shipments of smart glasses jumped by 110 percent year on year in the first half of 2025 according to new data from Counterpoint Research, an international research company focusing on high-tech markets. Counterpoint did not communicate a corresponding number of units, but it said in a previous report that ...
