news

Hot List: December

1 Winter

WONDERS

Karen Giberson, Accessories Council president, provided the following list of trends to look for in eyewear this winter:

• As often happens during the snowy months, shiny and metallic will reign this winter.

• Gunmetals and pewter metal are popular metal color picks, across the accessories board.

• Elegance will carry over from the fall with bling continuing to be more subdued and less in your face.

• Lots of femininity, but nothing too girly.

Night Sight 2

Nearly one of every three drivers on the road say they have difficulty seeing all or most of the time while driving in the dark. The following figures are based on "Shedding Light on Driving in the Dark," a nationwide survey conducted by Kelton Research for Road & Travel Magazine and ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses.

26%

have trouble seeing signs or exits

20%

acknowledge difficulty seeing animals or pedestrians

20%

have difficulty with seeing turns in the road

22%

report problems in judging distance while driving in the dark

3 SPENDING Takes a Holiday

According to the National Retail Federation, total holiday spending is expected to increase at its slowest pace in five years to $474.5 billion. Retailers are likely to respond with aggressive promotions, NRF representatives said. Wal-Mart Stores has already started cutting prices on popular toys two weeks earlier than last year. Other stores are expected to follow suit and offer promotions on additional categories including flat-panel televisions and other consumer electronics, analysts say. "Many retailers will be competing on price, causing this holiday to be very promotional—a tremendous win for consumers," Tracy Mullin, the NRF's chief executive. "Shoppers will be a little more conservative with their spending." More than half of the shoppers surveyed said that either everyday low prices or discounts will bring them to stores.

VCA Focuses on Safety

Recognizing the potential of the vision protection market the Vision Council of America VCA) has formed the Vision Protection Committee.

The committee, led by industry veteran Tom Goeltz, is dedicated to expanding the protective eyewear market in all segments of the industry. The group will utilize marketing, public relations, training, and education to get its messages out to both eyecare professionals and consumers. By tracking government issues, standards, and regulations, well as conducting research, the committee will be able to provide valuable information to its members.

"VCA is a unique organization that we can adapt to our members' needs, no matter how large or small," said Ed Greene, VCA chief executive officer. "The creation the Vision Protection Committee great example of how VCA is able to serve all of its members."

For more information, contact Goeltz at tjgoeltz@comcast.net.

Oakley joins Luxottica

Luxottica Group and Oakley, Inc., have completed their merger for a total purchase price of approximately $2.1 billion. Oakley will now be a wholly owned subsidiary of Luxottica Group, and it is expected that the transaction will result in about €100 million per year in operating synergies within three years, driven by revenue growth and efficiencies. Regarding the merger, Andrea Guerra, CEO of Luxottica Group said, "Joint teams from the two companies have been focusing for months on the tremendous business opportunities we have ahead, which will become operating plans by year-end." Oakley's outstanding shares of common stock were converted into the right to receive $29.30 per share in cash.

B&L Acquisition Complete

Warburg Pincus, a global private equity firm, has completed the acquisition of Bausch & Lomb for a total purchase price of approximately $4.5 billion dollars, including around $830 million of debt. B&L has ceased trade and been delisted on the New York Stock Exchange. Under the terms of the agreement, B&L shareholders are entitled to receive $65 in cash for each share of B&L common stock that they hold.

Test Your Mettle!
Take a crack at these questions for ODs from a previous Varilux Optometry Super Bowl and for opticians from a National Federation of Opticianry Schools College Bowl. OPTOMETRY Q. How do you transpose: -2.75 -3.75 X 05? OPTICIANRY Q. When the pad arms of a frame are angled downward, what is the direction of the movement of the frame front?

Test Your Mettle ANSWERS
Thanks to Essilor and the NFOS for providing this month's questions and answers. Optometry Answer: -6.50 +3.75 × 95 Opticianry Answer: Upward

License Lineup

CULT has signed a licensing agreement to design, produce, and distribute Costume National sunglasses. Luxury apparel label St. John has inked a multi-year license agreement with Visibilia for production and worldwide distribution of an eyewear collection. Consisting of high-quality sunglasses and ophthalmic frames, the collection will be exclusively available in St. John boutiques for spring 2008 and will then launch globally at MIDO.

5 Questions for…

Jon Gruen, an eyewear industry veteran, opened his first Gruen Optika store in Manhattan in 1971 and sold his high-end chain in 2000. Seven years later, Gruen decided it was time to get back in the business and he (along with partner Harvey Ross) bought the eight-store Grueneyes from HSD Partners. He shared his plans for the chain and thoughts on the high-end market with us.

1 EB: What was the impetus behind getting your stores back? Why did you sell in 2000?

JG: After 29 years of growing Gruen Optika to seven stores and an optical distribution business, I sold the business in 2000 to HSD Partners with the idea of continuing growth with me as the face of the company. That did not materialize and HSD did not [have the same vision of] the optical business or the New York City retail market.

After two years they decided to rename the chain Grueneyes. After five more years I was ready to be back in the industry, so I approached my friend of 40 years, Harvey Ross, to partner in the deal. He always wanted to do something in retail with me, so this was a great opportunity. The name of our company is Gruen-Ross Optika LLC.

2 EB: What does the future hold now for the company?

JG: Our plans are just ideas right now, but our goal is to expand the concept first within the New York market. We might expand into ancillary markets and into secondary markets with the same basic concept of service and quality but under a separate name.

3 EB: How will Harvey Ross/Ross Holdings be involved?

JG: Harvey has a tremendous amount of vision and he made Viva a very successful company. Our synergy is that he knows the insides and outsides of the wholesale business and I know the retail side.

4 EB: What is driving high-end eyewear sales?

JG: A tremendous amount of wealth was created in the last decade. That is a driving force. Plus, people recognize it is less expensive to buy the best product in the long term.

The other major impetus is that the eyewear industry is finally promoting itself as a primary fashion item. In addition, there is more advertising and celebrities wearing fashionable eyewear.

5 EB: How can ECPs selling luxury eyewear grow business?

JG: Luxury is here to stay and it will grow. But you have to know what to buy. The longevity of the style in the industry is a lot shorter than it used to be.

By having new products constantly coming into the market, it gives us an opportunity to sell more and create an excitement.

The Personal Touch

EB: What is your favorite vacation destination? JG: The world, basically. EB: What would be your dream job if you were not in the optical industry? JG: I would probably be a host on a resort. Any place where I would have a beautiful inn. EB: What's playing in your car stereo or iPod right now? JG: Jazz saxophonist Scott Hamilton. EB: What is your favorite charity to donate to? JG: The American Heart Association and the Celiac Disease Foundation, which funds research on this horrible disease that affects people who have an allergy to gluten/wheat—one of my daughters has it. EB: What are you wearing today? JG: Black shoes, black pants, and a black cotton high-collar jacket that's reversible. Oh, and my own glasses—they're my own design.

Eastern Influences: HK Optical Fair Wrap-Up

The 15th annual Hong Kong Optical Fair, held last month, attracted an international audience with 540 companies from 22 different countries.

The exhibits ranged from safety and sports eyewear to sunglasses, lenses, frames, contact lenses, parts/accessories, and holders, instruments, and equipment.

This year, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council arranged for 60 new buying mission groups to visit the fair, which attracted more than 10,000 buyers.

Along with representatives from the Asian manufacturers, the fair's Visionaries of Style—Enjoy Your Vision in Life presented 16 international brands, including Robert La Roche, mikli, JF Rey, Beausoleil, Markus T, and gotti.

At the Optical Fair press conference, Chow Ching Lam, vice president of the Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association noted that the Hong Kong market is pondering a move to develop its own brands: "Hong Kong exporters are facing the challenges of escalating production costs… Therefore, Hong Kong companies should shift their focus from OEM and ODM basis of production and even further to OBMy—developing their own brand products to enhance competitiveness."

The next fair will run Nov. 6 to 8, 2008. For more information, visit hkopticalfair.tdctrade.com.

Clockwise from top: Design contest entries, models in the latest, the press conference, the opening of the gala celebration, the show floor, new designs and the opening ceremony

STAR Gazers

1. Bombshell Charlize Theron attended the Venice Film Festival wearing Versace style VE 4092 from Luxottica. The star presented her latest film, "In the Valley of Elah," at this year's festival.

2. Before making it big on hit show "Criminal Minds," Kirsten Vangsness had day jobs ranging from substitute teacher to grant writer. The 31-year-old star, who plays a computer genius, shows off her fun side in Lafont Parasol.

3. Lindsay Lohan's latest films have scored only average at the box office—due in part, possibly, to her time spent in rehab. But the young star has been called one of the most talented youths in the industry, so many hope Lohan, who wore style 1374 Rockstar from Miyagi on the set of "Georgia Rule," will get her act together.

4. While she's had various roles on television and in film, Rebecca Gayheartis perhaps best known as the lucky wife of Eric Dane who plays Mark "McSteamy" Sloan on "Grey's Anatomy." She wears style LEYLA, one of Oliver Peoples' best-selling frames.

5. Ed Westwick, the 20-year-old "Gossip Girl" actor from England, says he's nothing like his womanizing character, Chuck, on this new CW show. Westwick recently picked out a pair of Sàfilo's Giorgio Armani 363S sunglasses while shopping at a Solstice Boutique in Soho.

On the town

Santinelli held an event at the D&D building in Manhattan with appetizers and Lextinis, in honor of the new equipment. Shown, Santinelli's Franco Aluigi demonstrates the Lex 1000 lens edging system to an attendee. (Images shown clockwise from top left.)

ClearVision Optical was recently named the Small Business Achievement Award winner at the Hauppauge Industrial Association's Annual Business Achievement Awards. David Friedfeld, president, accepted the award.

Michelle Walnum, Kris van Assche, and Larry Leight, of Oliver Peoples Eyewear, kicked off a year long celebration of its 20th Anniversary in Paris.

Vicki Page of Coffeen, Ill., was the grand-prize winner of the Bausch & Lomb PureVision Multi-Focal "Through a Mother's Eyes" contest. She won a trip to New York City during Fashion Week and a makeover by Finola Hughes.

Charmant USA welcomed 15 students from Shiga University in Japan. The students came to New York to participate in the Students in Free Enterprise National Championships. They were provided a tour of Charmant USA's offices and entertained during their stay.

A&A Optical auctioned its exclusive, pink ribbon VeraCruz frame during Vision Expo West, in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month and the VeraCruz relaunch. Dr. Alissa Irons from Albuquerque offered the winning bid of $550 for the frame. A&A will donate all proceeds to the Susan G. Komen foundation.