Essilor soaks up the sun

Essilor has continued its expansion in the sunglass sector with the acquisition of a 50 per cent stake in China’s leading supplier of mid-range sunglasses, Xiamen Yarui Optical.

The Chinese company, which designs and manufactures non-prescription sunglasses, has 850 employees and was said to have generated revenue of approximately €42m in 2012.

Its products, including those from the Bolon brand included in the acquisition, are sold mainly to Chinese ECPs and department stores in 30,000 outlets throughout the country.

The purchase will allow Essilor to capitalise on what it said was double-digit growth in China’s under-penetrated non-prescription sun lens sector, in which 50 million pairs were sold last year.