A high-end complement to the Ray-Ban Meta?
Meta has a new prototype for smart glasses in the works, according to Bloomberg, which cites “people familiar with the matter.” The code name this time is Hypernova, and the glasses are purported to have a screen, for the display of photographs and apps, and to be controllable with gestures ...
Main eyewear stocks down 7% and supply chains in doubt on US tariffs shock
So-called “reciprocal tariffs” announced by US President Donald Trump have sent global eyewear stocks down. The particularly high rates slapped on China and Southeast Asian countries challenge supply chain adjusments made in the last 2 years. Questions on how US consumers will respond to higher eyewear prices abound.
Kering Eyewear builds up in-house supply chain in Belluno
The eyewear division of Kering is acquiring Visard, a specialist in injected plastic frames, and taking a minority share (for now) in Mistral, an acetate eyewear manufacturer.
Menrad Germany files for insolvency
Menrad Group has announced that Ferdinand Menrad GmbH, its German entity, has entered insolvency proceedings due to an expected future liquidity bottleneck. The insolvency proceedings only concern the German legal entity of the group.
Zeiss tests e-commerce model with partner ECPs in India
ZEISS India has announced the launch of a new e-commerce initiative in partnership with local partner eye care professionals (ECPs). The company said that the new service, dubbed Lead Generation Service, was aimed at enhancing the optical retail of its local partners by providing them with an additional sales channel ...
Conant Optical revenue and profit up sharply in 2024 on volume and price mix effects
Annual sales were up by 18 percent to RMB 2,061 million. The company is investing into increasing production capacities and smart eyewear lens R&D.
Topcon seeks to move from a hardware-based to a solutions-based business after ownership change
US-based private equity firm KKR will be acquiring a majority stake in Topcon Corporation as part of a planned management buyout (MBO), both companies have announced. The tender buyout offer, which is scheduled for the end of July this year, values the Japanese equipment maker at 348 billion yen (€2.2bn).
Marcolin improves margins on slightly declining sales
Announcing preliminary results ahead of its general assembly scheduled for April 7, Marcolin has reported that its total sales declined by 2.2 percent year on year to €545.8 million. At constant exchange rates, revenue was down by 1.8 percent, but it was up by 2.1 percent on a like-for-like basis ...
Mister Spex expects discount detox and repositioning to start paying off in 2025
Revenue declined by 3 percent in 2024, including a double-digit drop in Germany in Q4. Turning around the business turnaround will take time as the group expects a 5-10 percent sales decline and an improving but still largely negative EBIT margin in FY 2025.
Optometry on the decline in Spain
The country isn’t producing enough professionals, says FEDAO.
With close to 100 new stores in 2024, KRYS GROUP consolidates its market leadership in France
Driven by a record number of new store openings, KRYS GROUP has announced that it consolidated its market leadership in the French optical market last year, lifting its market share to 18.4 percent versus 17.0 percent in 2023. The voluntary group also stressed its sustained development over the last twelve ...
France drove Q2 revenue 3% uptick for Afflelou but Spain grew at a faster pace
Afflelou Group has reported total network sales for the second quarter of its 2025 fiscal year that have increased by 3.3 percent to €238.8 million, indicating a deceleration from the previous quarter (+5.8 percent). For the first six months of the year, total sales were up by 4.5 percent to ...
Sustained growth in the Polish eyewear market partly driven by e-commerce boom
Eyewear retail sales rose by 8 percent year on year to 3.6 billion Polish zloty (€870m) last year and are expected to keep growing significantly in 2025.
Optic 2000 revenue flattish in 2024
Total group revenue was up by 1.1 percent year on year to €1,308 million last year, with sales of flagship banner Optic 2000 inching up by 0.6 percent.