Retail News CRM

Tag: eyewear

  • Gentle Monster, Huawei team up over smart eyewear

    Gentle Monster, Huawei team up over smart eyewear

    South Korean eyewear label Gentle Monster has partnered with Chinese tech giant Huawei to produced connected eyewear.

    The networked eyeglass frames allow wearers to answer calls without picking up their phone, and feature antennae, noise-reduction microphones and speakers tucked behind the ear.

    “Smart eyewear is different than the smart phone or the smart watch,” said Gentle Monster co founder and CEO Hankook Kim. “The smart eyewear is on our face … It is normal but actually it is slightly different. We believe the small difference changes everything.”

    The label, known for its trendy and futuristic individualised store designs, has 18 locations selling both futuristic and more conservative eyewear.

    “If you want to see how it looks on normal people, you can look at me,” said Kim.

    “I really appreciate Huawei because they realise that eyewear comes first and smart comes later,” he added.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Zoff Hong Kong eyewear chain boosting Convenience

    Zoff Hong Kong eyewear chain boosting Convenience

    Zoff Hong Kong may have only six stores for now, but the Japanese eyewear brand is proving a standout for local licensee Convenience Retail Asia.

    Victor Fung, chairman of the listed Fung Group affiliate, says Zoff Hong Kong has enjoyed “remarkable success” since CRA opened the first store in November 2017 at Cityplaza in Taikoo Shing. The five stores opened since are all in high-traffic locations popular with trendy young clientele, including one at Langham Place.

    Zoff’s business model is to offer customers a constantly refreshed range of frames to suit all styles, high quality frames at affordable prices and made onsite within a fast turnaround time. Fung says this is ideal for the new generation of consumers, always on the go.

    Zoff stores carry more than 2500 different frames and new items are introduced biweekly.

    The chain has also launched themed promotions, including a selection with popular actress and model Kiko Mizuhara and collections themed on Disney, Star Wars and Andy Warhol.

    CRA has invested heavily in brand advertising for the new chain, including outdoor advertising, prize promotions and joint marketing initiatives with other brands within the Fung Group.

    While CRA did not detail the chain’s financial performance, the company noted in its annual results that Zoff had contributed to both revenue and profit growth.

    “The group is proud to be the only licensee for the Zoff franchise in the world,” said Fung. “This fast-fashion eyewear chain, with its eye-catching blue-and-white branding, is highly regarded among Hong Kong’s young generation. Under the group’s guidance, Zoff has truly energised the Hong Kong eyewear market since entering in late 2017.”

    More Zoff stores are scheduled to open this calendar year.

    “The group remains bullish about the prospects for Zoff. Despite a number of competitors entering the market, our first-mover status and Hong Kongers’ affinity for the famous Zoff brand continue to drive healthy growth,” he said.

    Lees ook:

  • John Jacobs India aims to bag Rs 500 cr revenue by March 2021

    John Jacobs India aims to bag Rs 500 cr revenue by March 2021

    Lenskart’s eyewear brand John Jacobs is looking to garner Rs 500 crore in revenue in two years as it strengthens its retail presence and expands the product portfolio. The brand, which has eight stores currently in Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru, will add six more in the next two months and aims to set up about 50 stores by March 2021. “John Jacobs has been witnessing strong growth, we expect to close this fiscal with a topline of Rs 180 crore. By March 2021, we expect our revenues to touch Rs 500 crore,” Manan Duggal, Business Head, John Jacobs said.

    According to a report, about 40 percent of the sales is driven by online channels, with the rest coming from offline stores.

    Last year, Lenskart had said it will invest US$ 4 million in John Jacobs to fuel the brand’s expansion plans.

    “We are aggressively growing our presence both in online and offline. The brand is already retailing through Lenksart outlets (over 450 in more than 100 cities). The aim is to take the number of our own stores from 8 now to 50, by March 2021, covering all major metro cities,” he said, adding that the store expansion will entail investment of about Rs 10-15 crore.

    John Jacobs is also in discussions with fashion retail chains for distribution of its products.

    “In terms of online reach, we are already there on Lenskart and Amazon.in and will soon be available on Flipkart as well,” Duggal said, adding that the brand is aggressively expanding its product portfolio as well.

    John Jacobs recently introduced a new eyewear delivery model where the brand delivers eyeglasses, fitted with powered lenses, in a 20-minute timeframe.

    The service, currently available in select stores in Bengaluru, will be expanded to Delhi and Pune as well, Duggal said.

    He further said that with the new service, the brand expects to “see 30-40 percent upside in orders”.

  • Balenciaga launches first in-house eyewear line with Dover Street Market

    Balenciaga launches first in-house eyewear line with Dover Street Market

    French luxury house Kering has launched its first in-house Balenciaga eyewear line at British Dover Street Market stores. The new collection is exclusive to the DSM chain in the US, UK, Japan, Singapore and China, as well as the brand’s e-commerce channel. The high-end products are valued between US$290–570, with both sunglasses and prescription frames available.

    The Balenciaga eyewear line represents the first in-house Kering Eyewear product range. Previous Balenciaga collections were produced under Marcolin Eyewear, the creator of shades for numerous luxury labels.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Victoria Beckham signed eyewear license deal with Marchon Eyewear

    Victoria Beckham signed eyewear license deal with Marchon Eyewear

    Marchon Eyewear and Victoria Beckham Ltd have entered into an exclusive, long-term global licensing agreement for sun and optical eyewear. New collections developed under the agreement will roll out globally beginning Fall next year. The collections will be developed in Italy to align with Victoria Beckham’s brand aesthetic. Paolo Riva, CEO of Victoria Beckham Ltd, said the new partnership with Marchon comes “as we work towards reaching our global potential and expanding the brand following a series of strategic partnerships and appointments since our new shareholders Neo Investment Partners joined the business at the end of last year”.

    “Eyewear is synonymous with our founder and this license will allow us to scale our presence in the eyewear retail market and capitalise on Marchon’s technical innovation, expertise in product development and global distribution network.”

    President and CEO of Marchon Eyewear Nicola Zotta added: “We believe that the Victoria Beckham brand is on the rise and quickly becoming one of the most influential in the industry. We are committed to the success of this partnership and look forward to producing eyewear that characterises the brand’s trend-forward designs and contributing to the brand’s continued global growth.”

    The new line is planned to be sold globally in select department stores, specialty stores, and premium sun and optical retailers, as well as in Victoria Beckham retail locations and online at victoriabeckham.com.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Jins store opened a spectacular store in Shanghai World

    Jins store opened a spectacular store in Shanghai World

    Japanese eyewear brand Jins has opened a striking new store in the Shanghai World Financial Center. The Jins store was designed by Tokyo-based architect Junya Ishigami without any external entrance and features concrete counters that appear to float in the air, set against a stark, industrial setting, sporting hundreds of fashionable glasses frames. The counters are supported by heavy H-beams attached to a bowed steel sheet that covers the shop floor.

    The store is lit by strong 4000-Kelvin suspended luminaires that bring the bare walls into stark contrast. Ishigami commented, “I wanted to make a void space within a shopping mall.”

    Jins traditionally hires independent designers to fit out its retail areas.

    Jins founder and CEO Hitoshi Tanaka said: “I prefer working with architects on a space because they make more of an impact.”

    Lees ook:

  • Docomo invests in semiconductor startup QD Laser

    Docomo invests in semiconductor startup QD Laser

    Japanese mobile giant NTT Docomo, through its subsidiary NTT Docomo Ventures, has invested in QD Laser for an undisclosed amount.

    QD Laser – which was founded in 2006 as an offshoot of Fujitsu Ltd with funding from Mitsui Ventures – develops and manufactures semiconductor lasers, retinal scanning laser eyewear, and other products based on quantum dot laser technology.

    By leveraging its nanocrystal technology, the Kanagawa-based firm achieved mass production of quantum dot lasers capable of operating stably even at high temperature.

    In 2018, QD Laser applied its technology to incorporate a compact laser projector with extremely small output into a spectacle-type device, and commercialized what was claimed to be the world’s first retinal scanning laser eyewear that directly projects an image onto the user’s retina for image display.

    The technology for projecting a direct image onto the retina using a laser does not require the user to focus their eyes to see an image, so it is expected to improve the quality of life of patients with ametropia or corneal opacity and weak-sighted individuals.

    The technology can also be applied for realizing natural-looking augmented reality (AR) that people with normal vision can experience.

    Docomo said it has high expectations for potentials of the retinal scanning laser eyewear developed by QD Laser for resolving various social issues and contribute to creating new services through AR.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Safilo appoints new CEO

    Safilo appoints new CEO

    Eyewear manufacturer Safilo has appointed a new CEO this week, following the sudden departure Luisa Delgado, who relinquishes her role at the Italian firm for personal reasons, as of 28 February 2018.

    The maker and distribution of luxury sunglasses has named Andrea Trocchia as its new CEO. Trocchia will become director of the Safilo group on 1 April 2018.

    Until a new CEO is appointed, Safilo’s President Eugenio Ranzelli will take charge of the business in the interim, Safilo said in a press release. The firm added that Delgado’s contract was terminated by mutual agreement with the group’s board.

    Delgado’s severance package will be worth €1 million, plus vested stock options and other non-monetary benefits.

    Trocchia will join Safilo Group S.p.a. as a director at the beginning of April. He will be included in the list put forward by Multibrands Italy BV, the eyewear group’s holding company, to be appointed CEO of Safilo Group S.p.a. at the next AGM on 24 April 2018.

    Trocchia was previously chairman and CEO of Unilever Italia, a role he held since 2013. Before this, he was chairman and CEO of Unilever Israel. After an MBA at the STOA’/MIT in Naples and a PhD in aeronautical engineering at the University La Sapienza in Rome, Trocchia began his career at Unilever in 1991, in the supply chain and sales departments.

    Safilo has been experiencing difficulties for several quarters. It claims to be still affected by the termination of its Gucci eyewear licence, which took place in December 2016.

    At the end of the 2017 financial year, consolidated net sales were €1.047 billion, down €194 million (-15.6%) at constant exchange rates compared to the 2016 financial year. At the time of reporting last months, Safilo said the “sales decrease reflects both the transformation of the Gucci licence into a supply contract, for a total of €155 million (-12%), and the deployment of a new IT system for the global management of orders and stocks at the start of the year.”

    Lees ook:

  • Safilo signs distribution deal for Thailand and Cambodia

    Safilo signs distribution deal for Thailand and Cambodia

    Safilo continues to expand internationally, boosting its presence in Asia.

    The Italian eyewear manufacturer has signed an exclusive distribution agreement for Thailandand Cambodia, adding to its international distribution network, now extending to 42 countries.

    Safilo, which is controlled by Dutch investment fund Hal, issued a press release announcing the signing of the deal with Supreme Eyewear, a major local distributor with a 40-year presence in the business. The term of the agreement was not indicated.

    “The distribution agreement for Thailand and Cambodia marks a further step in the development of the Asia Pacific region. It supports the acceleration in the growth of Safilo’s Emerging Markets unit, as per Safilo’s 2020 Strategy,” wrote the group, which hopes as a result to earn “significant market share in highly interesting countries.”

    Supreme Eyewear will distribute all of the brands featured in Safilo’s portfolio – more than 30 labels – from the most accessible ones, like Polaroid and Havaianas, to premium names such as Elie Saab, Dior, Fendi, Jimmy Choo, Givenchy and soon also Moschino.

    Through this geographic redeployment, Safilo is seeking to compensate for the loss of the Gucci license, which still weighs heavily on its financial performance, as shown by the third quarter 2017 , which recorded a revenue of €245.1 million, equivalent to a 14.9% shortfall (-12.3% at constant exchange rates) compared to the same period a year earlier.

    Lees ook:

  • Kering Eyewear, Cartier launch collection

    Kering Eyewear, Cartier launch collection

    Jewellery retailer Cartier has teamed with Kering Eyewear for its latest eyewear collection.

    Presented at the Silmo International Optics and Eyewear Exhibition in Paris, it marks the official start of the companies’ licensing agreement.

    Described as “timeless”, the collection has three main components, Santos de Cartier, C de Cartier and Panthere de Cartier, and introduces new shapes that aim to “redefine the art of eyewear”.

    Effective from January 2, the licensing partnership will see the two luxury groups co-operate to to create a platform for product development, manufacturing and worldwide distribution of Cartier Eyewear.

    Under the terms of the agreement, Cartier owner Richemont has acquired a minority stake in Kering Eyewear, which has also integrated the Manufacture Cartier Lunettes entity in France.

    In June, a lawsuit was filed against Kering, accusing it of false advertising, unfair competition and fraud for claiming its China-produced eyewear had been made in Italy. Kering has denied all charges.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Singapore eyewear market looking at U$400m, says report

    Singapore eyewear market looking at U$400m, says report

    The Singapore eyewear market is expected to reach US$400 million in value in the near future, says a new study.

    The Ken Research report notes amplified demand for premium eyewear brands as consumer awareness grows, with an emphasis on individualisation.

    “The market is transitioning toward a large number of diverse products and short product cycle,” says Singapore Eyewear Market by Type (Spectacles & Contact Lenses), by Sunglasses and Eyeglasses and by Sales Channel – Outlook to 2021.

    Also, the market is set to benefit from a $49 billion merger announced by spectacles maker Luxottica and lens manufacturer Essilor, especially with an expected strong demand for prescription spectacles and sunglasses because of an aging population and increasing awareness about eyecare.

    The research also notes a 1.3 per cent increase in people with myopia. The aging population has also strengthened demand for spectacles to correct presbyopia and for ready-made reading glasses. Presbyopia has increased by 3.3 per cent.

    Despite continuous growth over the past five years, e-commerce has only a meagre share of the Singapore eyewear market, says the study.

    While more than 75 per cent of customers prefer to buy eyewear products at optical shops, higher use of mobile devices and the internet have encouraged major companies to start offering their products online, the latest being Owndays and Zoff.

    The report also provides information on frames, glass, contact lenses and distribution channels as well as major industry players.

    Lees ook:

  • Eyewear brand MUJOSH opens first Canadian store at West Edmonton Mall

    Eyewear brand MUJOSH opens first Canadian store at West Edmonton Mall

    Hong Kong-based upscale eyewear brand MUJOSH has added its first Canadian store to its portfolio of over 700 boutiques across Asia and the South Pacific. The store’s opening is in line with a recent trend of international and local expansion of eyewear brands into Canada.
    MUJOSH opened in West Edmonton Mall at the end of February and the company is planning further expansion in Canada and the Philippines, into 2017. The brand hopes to open 1,000 new outlets.
    “This successful debut in Canada marks a milestone for MUJOSH on its way to expand globally,” the company said in a press statement.
    The eyewear fashion brand was founded in 2010 and has stores in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia, in addition to Canada. West Edmonton Mall averages 90,000 to 200,000 shoppers daily and 32 million consumers annually.
    The deal to acquire the West Edmonton retail space was negotiated by Ben Lebrecque of Quebec-based Oakmont Real Estate Services.  Over the past year, Canadian retail saw several new eyewear brands enter the market or expand across the country. In the fall of 2016, New York eyewear Warby Parker opened its second Toronto store. Australian brand Bailey Nelson recently opened at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby and the Bentall Centre and Gastown in downtown Vancouver. Montreal-based BonLook will continue to expand across Canada with 20 new stores.
    Two American eyewear retailers will soon announce the opening of their first Canadian freestanding stores, according to Retail Insider.
    Lees ook:

  • Safilo Group signs exclusive distribution agreement with Seeone in South Korea

    Safilo Group signs exclusive distribution agreement with Seeone in South Korea

    Italian eyewear specialist Safilo Group has signed an exclusive distribution agreement in South Korea with Seeone, a respected local commercial eyewear operator.

    The new partnership is effective from 1 February. However, Safilo’s Korean duty free business will continue to be managed through the group’s global travel retail organisation and its local agents.

    Safilo said the distribution deal is in line with the company’s plans to change its local affiliate business model in Korea where it aims to further develop its brand portfolio.

    Seeone stated it would ensure a “seamless transition and smooth continuation of customer service to all optical retailers for all Safilo brands, including supply of products and after sales service”.

    Safilo Group CEO Luisa Delgado said: “We welcome Seeone to Safilo’s worldwide partner network, where our over 50 exclusive partners across the world contribute their unique commercial capabilities and local market leadership to Safilo’s growth strategy, serving the local retailers on our behalf.

    “Seeone brings an excellent track record of service and understanding of the Korean customers trade dynamics. We share a mutual belief in growing optical brands through quality distribution and operations, and relevant product design.

    “South Korea has for Safilo a strategic global importance, as a domestic market, design trend setter for Asia and worldwide, and as an important Asian tourist destination. We are therefore committed to building an effective business in Korea for the longer term,” Delgado concluded.

    Seeone CEO Sungjoo Ko commented: “This partnership is important for us. Safilo’s brand portfolio covers all market segments, with high quality eyewear. Their products are innovative and they have a history of leading craftsmanship and product design. With them, we see important growth opportunities that will strengthen our business in Korea.

    “Safilo is the world’s second global eyewear leader. We will represent them with rigour and quality in Korea’s independent optical channel.”

    Lees ook:

  • Mujosh Malaysia home to first international concept store

    Mujosh Malaysia home to first international concept store

    Hong Kong eyewear retailer Mujosh has opened its first overseas concept store in Kuala Lumpur.

    The Mujosh Malaysia store is located in the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur at the heart of the Bukit Bintang retail district.

    Mujosh says by combining “industrial chic, nature and retro design style”, the concept store is aiming to bring a unique experience to customers.

    Owned by Photosynthesis Group, Mujosh is the first brand to go international since its parent company started its international business expansion at the beginning of 2015.

    “Malaysia is the first place we chose after deciding to expand into the international market,” said Grace Zhang, GM of international business division of Photosynthesis Group.

    “We are pleased to achieve another ‘first’ for the company here. We are still in search of international business partners with the goal of bringing our brands to more places and customers in the world.”

    Founded in 2010 by a group of young creatives who believe glasses are not only tools to improve eyesight, but also fashion accessories to differentiate wearers and make them stand out from the crowd, Mujosh has been growing steadily in Asia. Last month it opened a smaller store in Singapore.

    Lees ook: