The latest news, analysis and data on corporate strategic initiatives, the latest mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, insolvencies and cooperations in the eyewear industry.
INDO invests to become a Mediterranean leader
INDO, the Spanish-based lens manufacturer, increased its market share in Spain by 1.5 percentage points last year, consolidating its position as the third largest lens brand in the country. According to figures provided by the company, its revenues in the lenses’ category went down by 4 percent for the whole ...
Visottica Comotec reinforces, diversifies portfolio with new acquisition
Visottica Comotec, the Italian supplier of eyewear components, announced on April 10 the takeover of Eurodecori, another Italian company that specializes in the supply of small metallic parts and accessories for the eyewear industry as well, but is also active in the fashion, leather goods and giftware sectors. According to ...
ECOO, ZVA criticize EU decision in Essilux-GV case
The European Council of Optometry and Optics (ECOO), the Brussels-based umbrella association, and the Zentralverband der Augenoptiker und Optometristen (ZVA), the German association of opticians and optometrists, both released official statements at the end of last month criticizing the terms of the European Commission’s clearance of the takeover of GrandVision ...
New owner for Rodenstock
Apax Partners, a private equity firm based in the U.K., has agreed to acquire Rodenstock from Compass Partners, another investment fund and the majority shareholder of the German brand of high-end lenses and frames since February 2016. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed. It is subject to ...
EU green light for Essilux-GrandVision merger
Putting a final point to an investigation started in December 2019, the European Union (EU) announced yesterday evening its conditional clearance for the acquisition of GrandVision by EssilorLuxottica. The green light is conditioned to the divestment, proposed by EssilorLuxottica, of a total of 351 stores in Belgium, Italy and the ...
New Look Vision Group changes hands
New Look Vision Group, a leading optical retailer in Canada, has announced an agreement for its acquisition by NL1 AcquireCo, a newly created investment vehicle composed of funds managed by FFL Partners, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), an investment fund from San Francisco and the family ...
Maison Bourgeat relaunched in a DTC venture
Vertical integration has been the name of the game lately in many industries including ours, and even more so since the Covid-19 outbreak, with brands going direct to consumer as the dominant pattern. The revival project of the Maison Bourgeat name offers a different picture though, with a 5-store optical ...
Solstice Sunglasses files for bankruptcy protection
Solstice Marketing Concept LLC, owner of the Solstice Sunglasses retail chain, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week in the Southern District of New York, after its sales nose-dived by more than 50 percent last year from 2019 levels. The company highlighted the impact of the Covid-19 crisis and ...
Essilux to buy 50% of SightGlass Vision from CooperCompanies
EssilorLuxottica will buy a 50 percent stake of SightGlass Vision, which focuses on developing lenses to reduce the progression of myopia in children, from CooperCompanies, the parent company of CooperVision.
GlassesUSA.com raises $45m in funding
GlassesUSA.com has raised $45 million in funding from the Israeli private equity firm Tene Investment Fund.