Today we are breaking down EssilorLuxottica, a global leader in the eyewear industry, formed by the merger of Essilor and Luxottica in 2018. Today the business sports a nearly $130 billion market cap. EssilorLuxottica represents a vertically integrated business, encompassing design, manufacturing, distribution, and retail operations across both vision care and eyewear fashion segments.

To break down EssilorLuxottica, I am joined by Swetha Ramachandran who manages the Artemis ‘leading consumer brand’ strategy and is co-manager of the ‘global select’ and ‘global focus’ strategies. 

Swetha analyzes the strategic rationale behind the merger, assessing how it shaped the company's competitive advantages. 

We discuss the economics of prescription lenses, high-fashion sunglasses, and iconic brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley. We also explore the impact of emerging technologies like Smart Glasses, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, and evolving consumer preferences on the eyewear market, as well as the competitive impact of upstarts like Warby Parker. Please enjoy this breakdown of EssilorLuxottica.

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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to Business Breakdowns

(00:04:24) Essilor Luxottica: A Unique Business Model

(00:05:08) Market Leadership and Revenue Breakdown

(00:08:13) The Merger: Essilor and Luxottica

(00:10:18) Financial Performance and Strategic Investments

(00:12:22) Challenges and Competitive Landscape

(00:18:37) Global Operations and Market Strategy

(00:21:04) Innovations and Future Prospects

(00:22:36) Financial Analysis and Capital Allocation

(00:26:11) Competitive Pressures and Market Position

(00:28:47) Geographic Footprint and Strategic Growth

(00:30:44) Acquisitions and Strategic Endeavors

(00:32:38) Partnerships and Technological Integration

(00:35:13) Summary and Key Takeaways

(00:41:36) Lessons from EssilorLuxottica