Lunor, the German-based eyewear company, is looking to reinforce and expand its international presence, notably in Europe and Asia, through a mix of partnerships with long-term distributors and direct distribution in some selected markets. We discussed the company’s international strategy with Thomas Dobler, the German senior manager who was appointed business development manager in 2020.
Founded in 1991, Lunor was quick to look beyond its domestic market as the family-owned company made its first appearance at the Silmo show in Paris the following year, presenting a short range of solid gold frames. Participation to trade shows has always been important for Lunor, Dobler stressed: “We have been able to establish a network of international partners and distributors in time.”
France was the first export country where Lunor appointed a distributor, in 1993, soon followed by North America in 1995 when it started to partner with Robert Marc which is still the brand’s distributor in the region today. Long-standing distribution partnerships for the company also include Japan, where its has been working with Globe Specs also since the mid-1990s.
Lunor has however changed its strategy for France, its biggest market in Europe, in 2022 as the company decided to fly on its own and serve French opticians directly, parting ways with Beausoleil, its 20-year long distributing partner. “I aim for a direct sales approach for key markets close to Germany”, Dobler said. The company directly appointed two sales representatives, one for Paris and one for the rest of the country as the manager believes there is a lot of potential for the brand out of the French capital city.
Most key European markets outside DACH are on a direct distribution model with the brand being represented by non-exclusive sales agents. The company recently changed agents in Italy as ”we want to be closer to Italian customers”, Dobler said. “Both for agents and for retailers, we are trying to work with partners that focus on only a few brands,” he further stressed.
European countries where the company is working through distributors currently include the U.K. or smaller markets like in Eastern Europe or the Nordics.
Lunor is also seeing good momentum in Asia, most notably in South Korea where its distributor CED International allocated an entire floor to the brand at one of its flagship stores in the famous Gangnam district in Seoul. CED presents the company’s collections in an environment showcasing the brand’s Black Forest roots and elements of German culture to Asian customers.
While this initiative was steered by CED, Dobler said the company was also readjusting its marketing with targeted POS initiatives. “Targeted POS measures, such as for example in the Ritz Paris Hotel together with one of our long-standing partners in Paris, E.B. Meyrowitz, are well received by our partners,” he added in reference to a one-month window renting operation at the famous luxury hotel’s lobby this spring. Other POS projects are currently in development with a Dutch design company for the launch of modular shop-in-shop systems scheduled for next year.
Another focus project for 2024 is the expansion of the company’s business in mainland China. Lunor is distributed in the country by its Hong Kong-based distributor but Dobler said that the pandemic slowed down the brand’s development there.
The German executive told us that 2022 was a record year in terms of sales for the company. Annual revenue was ”in the lower two-digit million range”, with exports outside of the German-speaking region accounting for 55 percent of volumes. France, Spain and South Korea were the main growth drivers in 2022. Dobler estimates that the company is working with approximately 5,000 optical stores worldwide, mostly independent retailers, either directly or through distributors.
While the executive highlighted that “Lunor has developed from a small medium-sized business from the Black Forest into an internationally well-positioned “hidden champion of the industry,” he also believes that the brand had further room to grow outside the DACH region.
The company produces metal and rimless frames at its own manufacturing site in the Black Forrest. The designer frames in titanium, acetate and buffalo horn are outsourced to three facilities in Southern Germany and Japan. It employs 41 people. In terms of volumes sold, acetate frames account for roughly 65 percent, metal for 30 percent with the remainder consisting of other materials such as gold or buffalo horn.