By Staff
Friday, May 20, 2022 12:24 AM
NEW YORK—
Warby Parker, Inc. (NYSE: WRBY) is continuing to expand its Optician Apprentice Program, the company told
VMAIL. The program started in 2017 to provide Warby Parker employees with the opportunity to become
ABO-NCLE certified and, when applicable, licensed opticians.
By Staff
Friday, May 20, 2022 12:21 AM
MUNICH, Germany—
opti 2022 concluded in Munich, Germany on May 15 after three days at Fairground Munich. From May 13 to 15, the show saw about 13,000 visitors from 71 countries, according to show organizers, with about three quarters of visitors saying their main aim at the show was to “exchange ideas with colleagues in the industry and to initiate business relationships.” This special spring edition of opti, the first time the show has been held in May, showcased 368 exhibitors from 25 countries, including a number of first-time exhibitors.
By Staff
Wednesday, May 18, 2022 12:18 AM
NEW YORK—
Vision Monday will be publishing its signature
Annual Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers Report in its upcoming June print/digital edition. A link to the survey is posted
here. The current deadline to submit to be considered for inclusion in the Special Report is no later than Wednesday, May 25. The optical industry's leading news platform has kicked off this annual survey among regional and national retailers for the signature report, which collates and presents sales and operations data for the calendar year ending Dec. 31, 2021.
By Staff
Wednesday, May 18, 2022 12:15 AM
NEW YORK—
Modo Eyewear and
Eco Eyewear have taken home
2022 iF Design Awards, one for Modo’s R1000 + Titanium with Snap Hinge and one for Eco’s Biobased Optical Collection. Founded in 1953, the iF Design Awards are judged by a
panel of 132 high profile design experts from over 20 countries with the goal of finding and awarding "submissions with the greatest innovative power." The
Eco Biobased Optical Collection includes a magnetic sun clip with the magnet integrated into the bio-based material and then hidden from view using gradient coloring a continuation of the temple. The frames are crafted using a bio-based material derived from sustainable non-GMO castor seed oil.
By Staff
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 12:27 AM
NEW YORK—Against a backdrop of disruption due to the Omicron variant that was first felt in the last weeks of December and continuing through the first quarter,
Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE: WRBY) on Monday reported that its Q1 revenue rose 10.3 percent to $153.2 million as both active customer count and average revenue per customer increased also in the quarter ended March 31. However, the retailer's net loss totaled $34.1 million in the quarter, primarily as a result of an increase in SG&A (selling, general and administrative) expenses, according to its announcement.
By Staff
Friday, May 13, 2022 12:24 AM
VANCOUVER, Canada—
Kits Eyecare Ltd. (TSX: KITS / OTCQX: KTYCF), a direct-to-consumer glasses manufacturer and digital eyecare provider, reported this week that its revenue in the first quarter dipped roughly 2 percent to $20.1 million.
By Staff
Friday, May 13, 2022 12:18 AM
CARLSBAD, Calif.—
Bollé Brands Group, which distributes Bollé, Serengeti and Bollé Safety, added to its portfolio in 2019 with the acquisition of Spy Optics, as
reported by
VMAIL. The Group is now appointing three key industry executives to leadership roles within the organization to strengthen its foothold in the North American market.
By Staff
Friday, May 13, 2022 12:15 AM
CALGARY—
FYidoctors, a diversified health care organization based here, is launching its Future Vision Leaders program, a one-of-a-kind initiative designed to help new and recent optometry graduates with up to $100,000 in forgivable loans. This unique program aims to partner the next generation of optometrists with patients and regions across Canada that are in marked need of professional eyecare expertise, apart from giving new optometrists a career boost unlike no other. “FYidoctors was founded on doctors defining what eyecare looks like—both now and in the future,” FYidoctors chairman and chief executive officer Dr. Alan Ulsifer said.
By Staff
Wednesday, May 11, 2022 2:02 PM
A wave of cost-cutting measures, including layoffs and job freezes, is hitting the retail sector, according to eMarketer analyst at Insider Intelligence Zak Stambor. The announcements are coming amid signs of softening consumer demand. April U.S. general merchandise unit sales were 7 percent lower than a year ago, creating a 1 percent decline in sales revenue, according to The NPD Group. The situation has driven retail companies—including GoPuff, Peloton, Thrasio, and Reef—and other tech companies to rethink their staffing levels as the changing economic conditions force them to shift focus to turning a profit.
With consumers flush with cash thanks to fewer ways to spend their money and an influx of stimulus cash, many retail and tech companies experienced a huge boom earlier in the pandemic that drove them to rapidly add staff to keep up with demand.
When it comes to direct-to-consumer (D2C) e-commerce, where there’s a sharp dichotomy between established brands such as Nike and digitally native brands such as Peloton, Warby Parker, and the retail brands that Amazon aggregators like Thrasio purchase. While digitally native brands used cheap capital to build their businesses, they’re having trouble adapting to the new landscape.
That helps explain why D2C e-commerce sales of established brands are now growing faster than those of digitally native vertical brands (DNVBs), per eMarketer’s estimate. Last year, established brands grew their D2C e-commerce sales 27.2 percent, significantly outpacing the DNVBs’ 19.8 percent growth rate despite larger baseline comparisons, and that trend is expected to continue in 2022.
Click
here to read more about the changes in the workforce landscape for 2022 and beyond.
By Staff
Wednesday, May 11, 2022 12:27 AM
DULUTH, Ga.—
National Vision Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: EYE) on Tuesday morning reported that its net revenue declined 1.2 percent to $527.7 million in the first quarter, as comparable-store sales fell 4.9 percent (down 6.8 percent on an adjusted basis). Net income decreased 30.6 percent to $30.1 million in the period ended April 2 as the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact across the retailer’s more than 1,200-location store base. National Vision also noted that, in response to capacity challenges, it will accelerate the rollout of its remote medicine initiative, and now projects offering remote exams in 300 locations by year’s end, an increase from the at least 200 locations previously planned for 2022.
By Staff
Wednesday, May 11, 2022 12:15 AM
LONGARONE—
Marcolin and TBL Licensing announced the early extension of their licensing agreement for the design, production and worldwide distribution of
Timberland optical frames and sunglasses. The partnership, originally signed in 2003, is now renewed for a further five years until December 2026. Timberland, a world leader in design and marketing of premium footwear, clothing and accessories for those who love outdoor life, tackles environmental challenges to minimize its impact on the planet from design to production.
By Staff
Wednesday, May 4, 2022 12:24 AM
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—
VSP Vision has promoted Greg Hare to president of
Visionworks, according to an announcement today.
By Staff
Tuesday, May 3, 2022 12:18 AM
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—
My Eyelab, an optical retailer and franchisor, will open its newest locations in Birmingham later this month and in late June, with another third location to follow later in 2022, according to the company’s announcement this week.
By Staff
Monday, May 2, 2022 12:30 AM
NEW YORK—The year 2021 for the optical sector was not unlike a rollercoaster ride in some ways, with a series of ups and downs and quick turns, as the nation experienced an uneven recovery from COVID-19. But the optical business did bounce back in 2021, and after this second consecutive extraordinary business year,
Vision Monday will be publishing its signature
Annual Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers Report in its upcoming June print/digital edition. A link to the survey is posted
here.