Kering Acquires Lindberg
Kering Eyewear has agreed to acquire 100% of the share capital of LINDBERG from the Lindberg family. The transaction is expected to be complete in the second half of 2021. Founded in 1969 in Denmark by optician Poul-Jørn Lindberg and his wife as an optical store and turned into a multinational by their son Henrik, LINDBERG makes design-oriented, lightweight, customizable frames with a specialization in titanium. This acquisition marks Kering Eyewear’s expansion, adding to its portfolio a complementary brand with undisputed know-how and best-in-class customer service in optical frames. kering.com
See Tomorrow Now
The Contact Lens Institute (CLI) has launched a nationwide campaign focused on exploring post-pandemic patient mindsets and practice impacts called See Tomorrow. The campaign examines changes in Americans’ lives over the past 18 months, celebrates how optometric professionals and consumers are looking ahead to an even more dynamic future, and explores why eyecare, including proper contact lens wear, is central to helping achieve those goals. The ECP component launched on July 22 with a free online event that included research, education tools, and assets that ECPs can use with consumers. seetomorrownow.com
Online Influence Way Up
According to the Vision Council’s Internet Influence Report, in 2020, more than 44% of adults who bought glasses used the Internet to assist in their acquisition of Rx eyeglasses, up from 22% in 2017. With 14% of 2020 buyers using the Internet to directly purchase glasses in the year, about 30% of 2020 buyers used the web to compare prices, find the type of glasses they wanted or find the ECP they bought from in-person later. The study found that prescription eyeglass buyers tended to go to websites operated by known eyeglass retailers without a brick and mortar presence. What’s more, 20% of recent online buyers said they would not use the Internet again for assistance when purchasing in the future, an all-time low number. thevisioncouncil.org