All Eyewear Intelligence articles in Volume 25 No. 5+6
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News briefs
Marcolin negotiations with strategic investors reportedly hit a €1.3 billion snag
According to an article published last Saturday by the Financial Times (FT), EssilorLuxottica, Kering, Safilo and Marchon have all expressed interest in the acquisition of Marcolin, as PAI Partners is looking to sell its majority stake in the company. While EssilorLuxottica and Kering seem to be the most likely candidates ...
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PDF NewsletterEyewear Intelligence: Vol 25 - No 5+6
Hans Anders and Eyes + More owner up for sale | EssilorLuxottica accelerates in Q4 to wrap another record year | Fielmann topped sales targets and improved profitability in 2023 | Synsam wraps up another double-digit growth fiscal year | After a good 2023, Atol to accelerate on audition and low-cost banners | National Vision posts good Q4, transitions out of Walmart partnership | Warby Parker sees top line momentum continuing as Q4 loss disappoints | Paris Miki reports Q3 slowdown despite booming sunglass segment | CooperVision raises 2024 guidance despite Q1 slowdown | Bausch + Lomb Q4 contact lens sales inch up 1% amid distribution disruptions | Kits Eyecare topline up 31% in 2023 driven by repeat customers and eyeglasses | Thai Optical Group sales flattish in 2023 | Backed by new financial partner, Opal-Demetz plans more M&A | Meta to provide glimpse of a second line of AR glasses | TPI aims to solve the “chicken-and-egg” 3D printed eyewear problem
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ArticleKits Eyecare topline up 31% in 2023 driven by repeat customers and eyeglasses
Canadian-based Kits Eyecare has reported a 21 percent year-on-year increase in Q4 revenue to $31.6 million, slowing down slightly from the 32 percent growth in the previous quarter. The company said that the Q4 sales uptick was driven by the eyeglasses segment (+39 percent to $4.1 million), repeat customer revenue ...
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News briefs
Menicon partners with Japanese universities for research on CL materials and recycling
In a double initiative aimed at researching next-generation materials for contact lenses and at recycling plastic waste generated for their distribution, Menicon has announced the creation of the Research Center for Miru Mirai (litterally “see” and “future” in Japanese) in partnership with the Tohoku University. The University of Tokyo will ...
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News briefs
The Vision Council looks at US glasses wearers’ style preferences
US women are twice as likely as men to choose tortoise (26 percent vs. 12 percent) or multicolor frames (24 percent vs. 10 percent) when they purchase glasses. Conversely, men tend to opt more often than women for metallic frames (34 percent vs. 21 percent). These are some of the ...
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News briefs
EssilorLuxottica and Dolce&Gabbana eyewear partnership extended to 2039
EssilorLuxottica and Dolce&Gabbana (D&G) have announced the early renewal of their licensing agreement for the design, production and global distribution of D&G-branded prescription frames and sunglasses. Effective since Jan. 1, 2020, the current agreement was set to expire at the end of 2029, but both parties have agreed to replace ...
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ArticleHans Anders and Eyes + More owner up for sale
According to various reports in the Dutch financial press, which we could confirm with people close to the matter, the optical retail group behind the Hans Anders, Eyes + More and Direkt Optik banners has been put up for sale by 3i, its major shareholder since 2017. In its last ...
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News briefs
Generational change at the helm of Charmant Group
Japanese-based Charmant Group has announced the appointment of Koji Horikawa as its new president and CEO, succeeding his father Kaoru Horikawa, founder of the company. The decision was approved at a shareholder meeting a few days ago. Koji Horikawa started working for Charmant 34 years ago and has since then ...
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News briefs
OBE acquires Italian components manufacturer
OBE Group, the German-based specialist in hinges, has announced the acquisition of OMM, a supplier of made-in-Italy metal components to high-end eyewear manufacturers. Founded in 1978 and located in the Cadore eyewear cluster in Italy, OMM currently employs 40 people. The acquisition enables OBE to add another production facility to ...
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ArticleThai Optical Group sales flattish in 2023
Thai Optical Group has announced that its total revenue inched up by 1.2 percent year-on-year to 3,015 million Thai baht (€77m) in 2023, falling short of the 5-8 percent growth target announced at the start of the fiscal year. This marks a sharp deceleration from the previous year when the ...
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News briefs
Serengeti Eyewear operations return to the U.S.
Bollé Brands has announced that it was moving its global Serengeti Eyewear operations from Lyon, France, to its U.S. headquarters in Carlsbad, California in order to reignite the “American soul” of the brand. The relocated global management positions include brand vision, marketing, creative and product development and will come under ...
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ArticleMeta to provide glimpse of a second line of AR glasses
There is a push within Meta to prepare a demonstration of the company’s first “true” augmented-reality (AR) glasses at its forthcoming show for third-party developers, Connect, scheduled for the autumn. The news comes from Business Insider, which has spoken to “two people familiar with the plans,” confirming their identities and ...
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News briefs
Karün Eyewear and partner to turn cigarette butts into eyewear frames
Karün Eyewear, the Patagonia-based eyewear brand, announced at the recent Mido show in Milan that it would soon launch eyewear frames made from Celion, a new cellulose acetate material recycled from cigarette butts. Celion is supplied by IMEKO, also a Chilean-based and certified B Corporation, which collects and chemically processes ...
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News briefs
Alcon Q4 contact lens sales jump 9%
Alcon reported sales of contact lenses totaling $579 million in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, up by 9 percent on a reported basis compared to the year earlier and 10 percent higher at constant-currency rates. The company said that product innovation had driven strong demand for contact lenses, including ...
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News briefs
Mondottica Group to develop Reebok eyewear license
Mondottica Group and Authentic Brands Group (Authentic) have announced the signature of a license agreement for the design, production and global distribution of optical frames and sunglasses for Reebok, one of the 50+ brands in Authentic’s portfolio. The first Reebok eyewear collection under this parthership, which was previewed at the ...
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News briefs
100% Optical ends 10th edition show with record attendance
Organizers of the 100% Optical show that closed its doors on Feb 26 in London have announced that this year’s edition, which marked the event’s 10th anniversary, has drawn 11,725 attendees or approximately 10 percent more than the year before. The trade fair exhibitors included instrument manufacturers, software providers, contact ...
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ArticleWarby Parker sees top line momentum continuing as Q4 loss disappoints
Warby Parker is planning to open another 40 stores this year and to grow revenues by another 12-13 percent, continuing with top line momentum after reporting revenue growth of 12.0 percent in 2023. “We have higher ambitions, in particular for top line growth and preserving more customers, all while maintaining ...
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ArticleCooperVision raises 2024 guidance despite Q1 slowdown
As announced last December during the presentation of CooperCompanies full-year financial results, sales of CooperVision for the first quarter of its 2024 fiscal year ended Jan. 31 slowed down from Q4 2023 as the company is struggling to keep up with growing demand for contact lenses. After eleven consecutive quarters ...
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ArticleFielmann topped sales targets and improved profitability in 2023
Releasing preliminary figures for 2023, Fielmann Group stressed that it exceeded its sales goals and improved its profitability last year thanks to its Vision 2025 plan investments and despite lingering inflation and depressed consumer sentiment. External sales increased by 12 percent year-on-year to €2.27 billion in 2023 after they rose ...
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ArticleNational Vision posts good Q4, transitions out of Walmart partnership
National Vision, the third largest optical retail player in the U.S., has reported Q4 revenue of $500.4 million, up by 8.0 percent year-on-year. The company said that the quarterly growth was primarily driven by a 6.0 percent increase in comparable store sales that reflected both an increase in customer transactions ...
