Business at the eyewear company EssilorLuxottica picked up more than expected in the summer. In the third quarter, sales on a comparable basis jumped by 17 percent to around 6.4 billion euros, also because of the weak euro, as the manufacturer of Ray-Ban glasses announced on Friday in Charenton-le-Pont. Adjusted for currency effects, revenue increased by a little more than eight percent, more than analysts had expected on average.
Business grew most strongly in the smaller business regions in terms of sales: In the Asia-Pacific region, currency-adjusted sales rose by almost a third and in Latin America by a good quarter. North America was up more than 20 percent, while growth in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region was just under 8 percent.
As a result, business in Asia and the Pacific region recovered significantly after sales there had fallen in the second quarter. In France, Turkey, the Middle East as well as Italy, Great Britain and Spain, the group reportedly benefited from increased demand for sunglasses.
Analyst James Grzinic from the investment house Jefferies spoke in a first reaction of a robust development in North America and another impressive quarter in Europe. This and the recovery in demand in Asia Pacific should please shareholders.
EssilorLuxottica is best known for its eyewear brands Ray-Ban, Burberry and Ralph Lauren. The comparative figures for the previous year include the Dutch optician Grandvision, which owns the German chain Apollo. EssilorLuxottica only took over the company in mid-2021. (dpa)