Luxottica debuts optical eyewear exclusively with CDFG
Ray-Ban eyeglasses were launched at Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex, Haitang Bay in July
Luxottica Group has teamed up with China Duty Free Group (CDFG) for the exclusive launch of the optical eyewear category for the first time in travel retail.
Created for prescription wearers, the new category debuted at Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex, Haitang Bay in July 2021, with major brands Ray-Ban and Burberry.
Since the launch, Luxottica reported that the category had already driven “outstanding” incremental sales, with Burberry optical glasses contributing a high single-digit percentage of the brand’s total sell-out in the first two months and paving the way for more Luxottica brands to grow this new eyewear segment.
In addition to the optical lenses, Luxottica and CDFG have also launched a clear lens segment for Ray-Ban for non-prescription wearers. The range appeals to travelers seeking clear glasses for fashion purposes, blue light filtering to protect their eyes from digital screens, or photochromic lenses that darken when exposed to sunlight to be fully protected both indoors and outdoors.
Since August, a third category – snow goggles from sunglasses brand and 2022 Winter Olympics sponsor Oakley – have also become available at Sanya.
Enrico Destro, Global Travel Retail Director at Luxottica, said: “As part of our enduring commitment to this strategic region, Luxottica is thrilled to debut the new Optical collection with our long-standing partners at China Duty Free Group. Together, our goal is to offer the best-in-class and the widest range of eyewear categories to our valued travel retail consumers. We are now growing the eyewear category beyond sunglasses to meet the diverse and evolving needs of our valued customers.”
Mei Li Lee, CDFG Vice President of Central Merchandising Division, Fashion & Accessories and Watches & Jewellery, added: “China Duty Free Group is proud to be the first travel retailer in the world to debut the latest eyewear innovations from Luxottica. These new categories take great strides to meet the unique needs of our consumers, which resonates with our customer-centered philosophy. It has been very rewarding to see the early success of Burberry and Ray-Ban in the optical segment, and we’re confident that the latest categories will also contribute to the growth of eyewear in the channel.”
