The latest news, analysis and data on topics including Financial Results, Corporate, M&A, Omnichannel, Retail & Distribution, E-Commerce & DTC, Market Statistics, Policy & Legal, Trade & Sourcing, Marketing, Products, Trade fairs & Events
Johnson & Johnson Q4 contact lens sales grow 7.6%
Johnson & Johnson generated sales from its contact lens business of $1,008 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, up by a reported 7.6 percent compared to the year earlier and 5.3 percent higher at constant currency rates. Sales growth was driven by market growth, the continued strong showing of ...
US tariffs weigh heavily on Sun Hing H1 results
Sun Hing Vision Group sales increased by 2.9 percent year on year to 421 million Hong Kong dollars (€46m) for the half year ended Sept. 30, 2025 “despite the overall poor operating environment,” the company stressed. The H1 performance, however, marks a sharp deceleration from the 27.6 percent topline growth ...
Afflelou maintains mid-single-digit sales growth pace in Q1
French-based optical franchisor Afflelou Group posted a 5.0 percent year-on-year increase in network sales to €241.3 million for the three months ended October 31, 2025, marking its first quarter of fiscal 2025/26. The growth was driven by strong performance in France and Spain, with hearing aids sales jumping 15.4 percent overall.
ZEISS cautious on outlook as strong 2025 revenue growth reveals 'mixed picture'
Reporting a solid 9.2 percent year-over-year increase in total revenue to €11.9 billion for the 2024/25 fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2025, ZEISS Group, however, put much emphasis on the “challenging business environment” and the “mixed picture” across its different segments (see table).
The European eyecare sector remains an attractive M&A market
There were 28 company transactions – including full takeovers and acquisitions of minority stakes – in the eyecare and eyewear sector in Europe in 2025, according to a recent report by Houlihan Lokey, a global investment bank monitoring the sector and other consumer markets. The company was involved last year ...
Kenyan retail startup aims for scale and impact in East Africa
Backed by Japanese and Indian investors and by a French optical retail veteran, Kenyan optical retail startup Mamy Eyewear plans to grow from five stores in Nairobi to over 100 locations in East Africa within five years, leveraging AI-powered eye exams and affordable pricing to address the region’s critical shortage of eye care services.
Seeing a 'strategic opportunity,' Safilo builds up a 25% stake in Inspecs
On Dec. 15, 2025, Safilo officially announced that it did not intend to make a firm offer for the acquisition of Inspecs. The announcement followed Inspecs’ statement on Dec. 10, 2025, that the board had found an agreement with Bidco for an 84 pence (€0.96) per share deal that values ...
Vision Group acquires LMC/Sensee
Group Héron, the French retail group, is selling the entirety of LMC/Sensee to Vision Group, a Swiss specialist in contact lenses. The financial terms of the sale have not been disclosed. The executive staff at LMC/Sensee is “fully involved in the decision” and will be remaining in place to manage ...
GlassesUSA.com operator launches multi-brand luxury eyewear webshop
Most large eyewear companies in the luxury segment, save one, partner with the new online shop.
Ultracheap Blacksheep flagship store to open at Paris’ BHV – except not
Blacksheep, a French-based pure online player selling ultra-low-priced eyewear, is reportedly preparing to open a 200-square-meter shop at the BHV department store in Paris, for what seems to be the brand’s first venture into brick-and-mortal retail. Founded by Pierre Wizman – the French entrepreneur that created Polette, another DTC eyewear ...
Kits Eyecare reaches 1 million active customers
Kits Eyecare has announced that it has doubled its number of two-year active customers from 500,000 to 1 million between Q4 2020 and Q3 2025. The company said that Gen Z (under 30 years old) and Millenials (30 to 45) respectively accounted for approximately 25 percent and 50 percent of ...
Mia Burton merges with Lipari
Italian eyewear e-commerce company Mia Burton and the Italian optical retailer Lipari announced they were merging to create an omnichannel group with forecast revenues of €23.7 million in 2025.
Nicola Zotta returns to VSP to lead Marchon/Marcolin integration
VSP Vision has appointed Nicola Zotta as its President of Eyewear and Managing Director of both Marchon Eyewear and Marcolin, the Italian eyewear maker whose acquisition was completed at the end of last year.
Carl Zeiss Meditec posts solid full-year results, terminates CEO mandate
Carl Zeiss Meditec has reported a 7.8 percent year-over-year increase in revenue to €2,228 million in the 2024/25 fiscal year ended Sept. 30. The company’s topline rose by 8.6 percent at constant currencies and by 3.3 percent on an organic basis.
EssilorLuxottica wearables chief steps down
Rocco Basilico, Chief Wearables Officer at EssilorLuxottica, will be leaving the group at the start of next year, Reuters revealed on Monday. The information was confirmed to the press agency by EssilorLuxottica: “After six years supporting our smart eyewear journey, Rocco Basilico has decided to pursue his personal interests outside ...
The European eyecare sector remains an attractive M&A market
There were 28 company transactions – including full takeovers and acquisitions of minority stakes – in the eyecare and eyewear sector in Europe in 2025, according to a recent report by Houlihan Lokey, a global investment bank monitoring the sector and other consumer markets. The company was involved last year ...
Eyewear industry stock up 8.9 percent in Q4, 6.2 percent in FY2025
As usual at this time of the year, we complement our quarterly analysis of the stock listed eyewear companies in the last quarter with our market capitalization ranking as we enter the new year. You will find the corresponding tables below.
Spectaris/ZVA report points to opportunities in the declining German optical market
Spectaris, the German optical industry association, and ZVA, the national association of opticians and optometrists, have announced the publication of their joint Industry Report 2024/2025. The report is partly based on the latest Allenbasch study, a national survey published every five years that showed that the percentage of German aged ...
French optical market driven by health care needs rather than fashion or promotions, new research stresses
A comprehensive survey of 3,000 French glasses wearers by the country’s main opticians’ association shows that the vast majority prioritise medical necessity over fashion when purchasing new eyewear, with 92% citing visual needs as their primary motivation for renewal.
