TRENDSPOTTING: FIRST PERSON

5 Questions for…

Luxottica Wholesale North America President Fabrizio Uguzzoni

Fabrizio Uguzzoni
Photo courtesy Luxottica

Fabrizio Uguzzoni has excelled in business around the globe. The new president of Luxottica Wholesale North America, he has lived and worked in locales from Milan and Germany to New York for companies such as Whirlpool and Bayer, plus Luxottica Group, throughout his 20-year career.

Uguzzoni has been a senior leader within the Luxottica organization for the past seven years, most recently in the position of senior vice president of operations and finance.

Here, he sits down with EB to share details on his goals plus thoughts on how ECPs can remain competitive today.

What are your goals for Luxottica Wholesale NA?

[Our goal] is really divided into two pieces. The first is working on elevating the importance of high-quality eyewear and eye care. The other is making premium sun the first choice of our consumers and our customers. We’re working on that from a product/brand and service point of view.

How will you meet these goals?

Service is where we feel we can make the biggest difference for our ECP customers. We’re giving them new tools to create a better in-store experience through brand storytelling and education, as well as our Art of Retailing program. We’ve also introduced new service platforms like MyLuxottica.com, which is 24/7 access to product availability and replenishment. And, we’re helping them build the ideal, best-selling assortment for their geographic location.

I believe that working with the eyecare professional—and helping to make their life easier—is such an important part of our job.

What are some of the product initiatives to meet these goals?

We are launching Valentino in Q1 of next year, which is a so-cool, luxury heritage brand that is very rock, very millennial.

And, lenses are truly a focus. We have two amazing launches—Prizm for Oakley and [polarized] Chromance for Ray-Ban.

Then, there is style. Flat lenses, octagonal-shaped lenses, and rainbow-effect mineral lenses in Ray-Ban. And, the new story of clip-on sun lenses, which make your prescription frame a sunglass and also change the look.

In our factories, so much of our product is handcrafted. In each of our brand categories of Luxury, Premium Fashion, Lifestyle, and Sport, we have the best you can have.

How can the independent ECP best compete today?

One area is deciding which partners to work with. If I were an ECP, I would ask, “What am I good at? Where is my revenue coming from? Okay, this is where I have my weaknesses. Who are the right partners to help me convert my weaknesses into strengths?” So, I believe they need to pick their partners thoughtfully versus working with everyone, which is inefficient and ineffective.

How can ECPs create a successful store experience for patients?

First, understand the process of how the patient enters your practice. What is their first impression? The first person they come in contact with? Where are they waiting for the exam? Try to understand this to lay out the store to capture the full value of that consumer. Make the experience 360 degrees. That can be very powerful for patients.