The latest news, analysis and data on corporate strategic initiatives, the latest mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, insolvencies and cooperations in the eyewear industry.
Synsam goes public too
Synsam, the leading optical retailer in the Nordics, has announced its intention to launch an Initial Public Offering (IPO) and start trading shares at the Nasdaq Stockholm stock exchange before the end of the year. The company’s main shareholder since 2014, Theia Holdings, an entity of the international CVC private ...
Essilux launches mandatory public offer for GrandVision shares
EssilorLuxottica and GrandVision jointly announced on Oct. 7 the launch of the recommended mandatory public offer for the purchase by the Italio-French group of all remaining shares in the Dutch retail group’s capital.
Bollé builds up management team for strategic changes
Bollé Brands has announced a series of key appointments in its management team to support its strategic plan, focusing on the digitization of the business, the RX segment, the brands’ visibility and the company’s social and environmental responsibility.
1-800 Contacts acquires virtual try-on specialist
1-800 Contacts, the U.S. contact lens specialist, has acquired Ditto, a firm also headquartered in the U.S. that provides virtual try-on systems for eyewear brands and eyewear retailers on- and offline, Vision Monday reports.
Brand heritage and international expansion drive Revo growth
Revo, the American brand of high-end polarized sunglasses, is launching Revo Black, a new collection showcasing the brand’s latest developments in both lens and frame technologies. The new range includes three concepts – one featuring a carbon fiber frame, one with a titanium wire frame for the lightest Revo sunglass ...
New investor and strategic focus on Asia for FittingBox
FittingBox, the French-based provider of virtual try on (VTO) systems and other digital solutions, just announced that JINS, the fast-growing Japanese retail chain, had become a shareholder of the company. The investment by JINS allowed earlier financial investors, mainly French venture capital funds Kreaxi and LBO France that have been ...
New owners for Maison JEAN-FRANÇOIS REY
Jean-François Rey, founder and CEO of Maison JEAN-FRANÇOIS REY, has decided to hand over the control of his company as well as his executive responsibilities to a Franco-German trio of seasoned eyewear managers, Walter Pirinoli, Dan Levi and Ralf Kmoch who have acquired a third of the company’s capital each.
Warby Parker unveils growth strategy
Just a few weeks after filing its IPO registration documents to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in which the company disclosed its financial results for the past three years, Warby Parker released an online presentation for investors. During the two-hour long pre-recorded video, founders and co-CEOs Neil Blumenthal ...
Hawkers opens 1st Spanish factory
Hawkers Group, a Spanish-based brand of sunglasses, has announced last week the launch of a new collection of sunglasses Made in Spain, following the opening in February of its first factory in Spain, located at its headquarters of Elche, near Alicante. The group addresses the entry level segment of the ...
Marchon on track for a record year
Unlike other major players in the eyewear industry that are public listed, Marchon Eyewear is not publishing its results but Nicola Zotta, CEO of the U.S. eyewear manufacturer, agreed to share some information with Eyewear Intelligence on the company’s performance and projects.