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Inspecs topline down 5 % in H1, rebound expected in H2
Confirming its previous guidance on a business slowdown in the first half of this year, INSPECS Group has announced that its H1 revenue declined by 7.3 percent year-on-year to £103.0 million (€122m). At constant exchange rates, sales were down by 5.2 percent versus H1 2023.
Specsavers profitability keeps declining
Specsavers has seen its profitability decline again in fiscal 2023/24, with its operating margin sliding below the 10 percent mark for the second consecutive year.
Conant H1 sales jump 18%, plans new production plant in Thailand
The Chinese lens manufacturer has also reported profitability improvement in the period thanks to positive sales mix effects with a higher share of high added-value lenses.
US business propels Fielmann topline over €1bn in H1 while price mix effects bolster margin gains
Driven by its US acquisitions and price-mix improvements, Fielmann Group has reported a double-digit revenue increase and significant margin improvements in H1 2024.
Rodenstock to repurpose main German site as engineering center and transfer lens production to Czech plant
German-based lens maker has announced the transfer of its lens production from its German site in Regen to its plant in the Czech Republic in the coming months. Regen will be repurposed as engineering and R&D center and its workforce will be halved in the process.
Innovation, digitization, sustainability and selective retail on 60 year-old Silhouette’s agenda
Silhouette celebrates its 60th company anniversary with product innovations while focusing on qualitative retail distribution, digitization, sustainability and independence.
Aerial Vision buys 5.3% of iVision Tech, becomes a strategic partner
Aerial Vision International (AVI) has acquired a 5.31 percent stake in iVision Tech while the investment group Algebris Investments Limited raised its holding in the Italian eyewear supplier to 8.48 percent from a previous 3.34 percent through an accelerated bookbuilding transaction.
Mister Spex to close all international stores under new restructuring plan
Embattled German optical retailer Mister Spex is launching another restructuring plan which it expects will increase Ebitda by over €20 million in 2025 and 2026. The main measure calls for the immediate closure of all international shops.
Zenni adds contacts lenses
Zenni Optical, the online eyewear retailer, has added contact lenses to its selection. So far it is selling contacts from CooperVision and Bausch + Lomb but promises more to come. Customers can make their purchases daily, bi-weekly or monthly. First-time customers for contacts will receive a discount of 20 percent ...
Two top-ten German optical retailers join forces to take over Edel-Optics
Optiker Bode and ROTTLER, two family-owned and historical optical retail chains respectively based in Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia, are joining forces to take over Edel-Optics, an online optical retail pionneer in both Germany and Europe. Founded in 2009, the company had filed for insolvency proceedings in February.
Krys joins the second-hand market
Krys has become the exclusive lens supplier for Seecly, the online marketplace for the sale of second-hand, reconditioned or old frames.
South Korean e-commerce giant takes over Farftech
Coupang, the South Korean-based e-commerce group, has annoucend that it was taking over the business of Farftech, investing $500 million in the struggling luxury online retail platform. The cash injection will enable Farftech to clear its debts and continue its operations. The company, which is currently valued at around $200 ...
Ukraine eyewear market partly bounces back amid ongoing challenges
The Ukrainian eyewear market has partly rebounded from its 2022 drop following the start of the war with Russia despite severe supply chain disruptions. However, uncertainties and challenges remain, notably related to the workforce shortage and power outages.
A majority of stock listed eyewear companies saw their share value decline in Q2
Stock listed eyewear companies have seen their share value increase by 4.3 percent on a non-weighted average basis in the second quarter of 2024, improving slightly from the 1.6 percent increase observed in Q1. The industry average outperformed the MSCI World Index, which includes 1,500 companies worldwide and grew by ...
The new reality of the Russian eyewear market
Over the last few years, the Russian eyewear market has experienced a rollercoaster ride, with occasional supply disruptions, price swings, growing dependence on China and a rise in the share of counterfeit goods and “grey imports.”
Brazilian optical retail market value up 5% in 2023
The Brazilian optical retail market value grew by 4.9 percent year-on-year to 25.6 billion reais (€4.4bn) in 2023 according to the annual report by Abióptica. The data was calculated based on a survey by Cielo, a credit card service company, at optical stores. It does not include online sales. Founded ...
