Market and strategy
With a strong portfolio of retail brands, Luxottica is well positioned to reach different segments of the market. The retail portfolio offers a variety of differentiation points for consumers, including the latest in designer and high-performance sun frames, advanced lens options, advanced eye care, everyday value and high-quality vision care health benefits.
As of December 31, 2012, Luxottica’s retail business consisted of 6,960 stores (of which 6,417 corporate stores and 543 franchise locations).
Optical retail
Luxottica’s optical retail operations are anchored by leading brands such as LensCrafters and Pearle Vision in North America, and OPSM, Laubman & Pank and Budget Eyewear, which are active throughout Australia and New Zealand. The Group also has a major retail presence in China, where it operates in the premium eyewear market with LensCrafters. Due to the fragmented nature of the European retail market, the Company does not operate optical retail stores in Europe outside of the United Kingdom, where in 2008 it increased its stake in the David Clulow chain, which sells both prescription and sun products.
As of December 31, 2012, Luxottica’s optical retail business consisted of approximately 3,864 retail locations globally.
Sun and luxury retail
In 2009, Luxottica created a new global sun and luxury retail management group to support the Sunglass Hut, ILORI, The Optical Shop of Aspen and Bright Eyes brands. Since the acquisition of Sunglass Hut in 2001, Luxottica has become a world leader in the specialty sunglass retail business. As of December 31, 2012, Sunglass Hut operated a retail network of 2,713 stores worldwide, of which 2,610 corporate stores and 103 are franchise locations. The former are in North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South Africa and Latin America, whereas the latter are in Middle East, India, the Philippines and Thailand.
In 2011, the expansion strategy into emerging countries has driven Luxottica to an agreement pursuant to which more than 70 sun stores in Mexico have been acquired. This will enable the Group to enter the Mexican retail market, a market with great opportunities.
