Essilor news and archive

Luxottica merges with lens maker to become world's largest eyewear company

Luxottica, the Italian eyewear giant that makes glasses for brands including Chanel, Burberry and Armani, is merging with French company Essilor, the world's leading lens maker, creating a group worth 50 billion euros with 140,000 employees. The merging company will be listed on the Paris stock exchange, meaning Luxottica will be delisted from...

Business

Navigating the Latest Shifts in the Eyewear Landscape

PODCAST: In this monthly Fashion Friday podcast series directed by FashionUnited contributor Euromonitor Intenational, Adeline Ho, an Industry Research Associate at Euromonitor International, gives us a glance at the Eyewear market with a specific focus on the Essilor and Luxottica recent merger announcement. What can you tell us about the...

Business

Luxottica acquires Óticas Carol in Brazil

Italian eyewear group Luxottica is expanding its presence in the optical franchise business with around 950 stores after agreeing to buy Brazilian optical chain Oticas Carol in an 110 million euro deal. The acquisition will expand the eyewear group’s retail footprint in the South American country, marking Luxottica’s entry into the optical...

Fashion |PROFILE Featured

Leonardo Del Vecchio framed his own success with Luxottica

From the small factory he founded in 1961 near Venice, Leonardo Del Vecchio created an eyeglasses empire, and at 81 is invading the corrective lenses market by merging his Luxottica firm with Essilor. The merger story is the latest chapter in Del Vecchio's rags-to-riches story. Born in 1935 in Milan, Del Vecchio was sent to an orphanage at a...

BusinessFeatured

Luxottica agrees 46 billion euro merger with Essilor

Luxottica, the world’s biggest glasses maker, which owns Ray-Ban and Oakley, has agreed to a 46 billion euro merger with French lens maker Essilor. “Finally, after fifty years, two products which are naturally complementary, namely frames and lenses, will be designed, manufactured and distributed under the same roof,” said Luxottica's...