Retail & Distribution – Page 4
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ArticleNovacel extends Leica footprint, increases French market share
The French-based lens maker Novacel almost put a final touch to its European distribution network for the German licensed brand Leica Eyecare , with the implementation of a network of regional distributors in Italy. Leica lenses are now available throughout Europe except for Denmark, Norway, Slovenia, ...
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French social security expects more impact from its eyecare reform in the future
In a roundtable with a French journalists’ association last week, Frank von Lennep, the country’s social security director said that 14 percent of eyeglasses’ frames and 12 percent of corrective lenses sold had been picked from the Class A products’ list since the implementation of the 100% Santé healthcare reform ...
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ArticleGentle Monster mixes eyewear with cosmetics, cakes and artworks in new retail format
Gentle Monster , the South-Korean brand of luxury eyewear which is famous for the unusual design of its stores that integrate large contemporary artworks and futuristic robots, unveiled at the end of last month its new multi-brand retail format in the Gangnam district of Seoul in the ...
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ArticleU.K., EU trade heavily affected by Brexit, worse may be ahead
Brexit has complicated life for merchants in the European Union exporting to the U.K., which highlights new paperwork requirements, higher administrative costs, delivery delays and uncertainty about what the rules of the game are now that the U.K. is no longer a member of the single market since Jan. 1. ...
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ArticleDPD resumes U.K. road services to EU after Brexit customs delays
The parcel carrier DPD has resumed its road service from the U.K. to the European Union after resolving customs clearance problems caused by post-Brexit administration rules. The U.K. left the single market on Dec. 31, 2020. The company had suspended operations in the first week of the month ...
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ArticleDe Rigo enters distribution deal with DIFF Eyewear in North America
De Rigo Vision has reached a multi-year agreement under which its Los Angeles-based unit De Rigo REM will be the sole distributor of DIFF Eyewear ’s sun and optical frames in the North American optical market. DIFF Eyewear is a rapidly growing American-based fashion eyewear company ...
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ArticleMister Spex expects sales to grow in 2020 and 2021
Mister Spex expects sales to grow in 2020, and again in 2021, from the €139 million posted in 2019. Last year, the German company saw its adjusted Ebitda rise to €2.0 million from €0.2 million in 2018 as it enjoyed growth in all three of its product categories, ...
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ArticleEU, UK extend Brexit trade talks in effort to avoid a “no deal”
The United Kingdom and the European Union had decided to wait until Sunday, Dec. 13 to find a compromise on a trade agreement that would go into effect on Jan. 1. But, the European Commission’s president, Ursula von der Leyen , said the negotiators will now continue to work into ...
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ArticleCarte Blanche set to become the N°2 healthcare network in France
Carte Blanche , the French healthcare organization owned by SwissLife and other insurance companies, has extended until Dec. 11 the registration deadline for French opticians wishing to join its network, as many could not complete the process in time because of the new Covid-19 related lockdown. The company, which ...
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ArticleEdel-Optics invested €3 million in robotized Hamburg flagship
Edel-Optics has invested €3 million in its new flagship store, located at Ballindamm 33 in Hamburg, Germany. The location, opened in late November after nine months of construction, enables customers to be served by opticians or by Temi personal robots and offers a selection of 250,000 items from ...
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ArticleFrance postpones start of winter clearance period to Jan. 20
The French government has postponed to Jan. 20 the start of the winter clearance period from its initial date of Jan. 6. The clearance period will last four weeks. In radio interview with RMC/BFM TV , the Economy Minister, Bruno Le Maire , added that the measure is aimed ...
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British delivery service fears uncontrollable Black Friday
London-based delivery service ParcelHero said that it’s forecasting an £8.49bn (€9.5bn-$11.5bn) monster Black Friday to Cyber Monday weekend. It warns that stores must learn from the disaster of Black Friday 2014 or delivery chains could snap once again this year. In 2019, Britons spent a ...
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ArticleItaly’s main buying groups merge
Italy’s two main buying groups, Vision Group and Netcity , will merge on Jan. 1, but will maintain their offices and staff based in Milan and Prato, near Florence. Vision Group has more than 2,100 associated optical stores, operating under different banners including VisionOttica’s , the group’s nationwide ...
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ArticleContrasting consumer sentiment across Europe
The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is beginning to stifle the previously expected recovery of the European economy, particularly for the consumption of non-essential products and services. Fortunately, it has not yet led to the retail lockdowns of the first wave in the spring – except in Wales and ...
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ArticleU.K. government under pressure over move to scrap tax-free shopping
The British Finance Minister Rishi Sunak is under mounting pressure from major retailers to reverse his decision to abolish duty-free shopping next year which they claim will lead to significant job losses. Leading U.K. fashion and luxury brands, including Paul Smith , Ted Baker , The White Company ...
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ArticleU.K. threatens no-deal Brexit but talks to continue
Tensions on stalled Brexit trade talks intensified as Boris Johnson , the British Prime Minister, said Britons should prepare for a no-deal departure if the European Union (EU) did not compromise, raising the prospect of supply chain chaos across Europe. Johnson stopped short of saying he was walking ...
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ArticleItalia Independent opens a new showroom in Milan
Italia Independent opened a new showroom in Milan, in via Fiori Chiari, in the heart of the bohemian Brera district. The location is also the company’s sole flagship worldwide after the company underwent a restructuring that led to the closure of all stores managed directly or franchised. It also ...
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ArticleAlibaba in partnership with the duty free retailer Dufry in omnichannel drive
The Chinese e-commerce group Alibaba has entered into a partnership with the Swiss duty free retailer Dufry that will further integrate online and offline shopping. The parties will form a strategic joint venture in China, and Alibaba will become a minority shareholder in Dufry.
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ArticleStrong expansion for the Hallmann chain with MPG’s help
The Austrian-based Michael Pachleitner Group ( MPG ) reported on a strong expansion of the network of Optik Hallmann stores since it acquired a minority stake of 19 percent in the German chain in 2015, supplying it with German-made lenses. From only 40 stores at the time of the ...
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ArticleEssilux to appeal Dutch court ruling on GrandVision
EssilorLuxottica has decided to file an appeal against a judgment dismissing its request for disclosure of information from GrandVision . The company repeated that it is concerned about GrandVision’s behavior in “continuing to deny access to important information” related to its handling of the Covid-19 outbreak. “Legal ...
