Luxottica to appoint Oakley subsidiary as the North American distributor of Arnette and Revo - Port Washington, NY and Foothill Ranch, CA – Luxottica Group S.p.A. and its subsidiary Oakley, Inc. announced that effective January 1, 2009, Oakley will
Luxottica to appoint Oakley subsidiary as the North American distributor of Arnette and Revo
Port Washington, NY and Foothill Ranch, CA – Luxottica Group S.p.A. and its subsidiary Oakley, Inc. announced that effective January 1, 2009, Oakley will become the sole North American sole distributor for Luxottica house brands Arnette and Revo for all channels of trade replacing Avant Garde Optics. Also for North America only, as of the same date, Oakley will become the sole distributor for Ray-Ban in the sport retail channel.
Avant Garde Optics, Luxottica’s wholesale distribution arm in North America, will continue to be responsible for the management, marketing and distribution of the Ray-Ban brand in all other channels of trade.
“We are pleased to leverage Oakley’s unsurpassed expertise in the sports marketing arena for the benefit of Arnette, Revo and the distribution of Ray-Ban in the sport channel,” said Pierre Fay, executive vice president of Luxottica Group’s wholesale operations in North America. “This transfer was designed to maximize our Group’s ability to provide service and support to customers and to maximize growth opportunities for these high-potential Luxottica house brands.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to build upon these sport brands with such rich histories,” said Scott Bowers, senior vice president global marketing and brand development, Oakley. “Oakley has unique expertise and a proven track record in sport branding and distribution. We are committed to maintaining and improving the level of service that the retailers have received in the past and are taking steps to minimize the impact of this transition.”
About Luxottica Group S.p.A.
Luxottica Group is a global leader in premium fashion, luxury and sports eyewear, with over 6,200 optical and sun retail stores in North America, Asia-Pacific, China, South Africa and Europe and a strong and well balanced brand portfolio. Luxottica’s key house brands include Ray-Ban, the best known sun eyewear brand in the world, Oakley, Oliver Peoples, Vogue, Persol, Arnette and REVO, while license brands include Bvlgari, Burberry, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Tiffany and Versace. In addition to a global wholesale network covering 130 countries, the Group manages leading retail brands such as LensCrafters and Pearle Vision in North America, OPSM and Laubman & Pank in Australasia, and Sunglass Hut globally. The Group’s products are designed and manufactured in six Italy-based manufacturing plants and in two wholly-owned plants in China. In 2007, Luxottica Group posted consolidated net sales of €5 billion. Additional information on the Group is available at luxottica.com.
About Oakley, Inc.
Oakley is a worldwide leader in performance optics including premium sunglasses, goggles and prescription eyewear. Headquartered in Southern California, the company’s optics brand portfolio includes Fox Racing, Mosley Tribes, Oliver Peoples and Paul Smith Spectacles. In addition to its worldwide wholesale business, Oakley operates retail locations including Oakley Stores and The Optical Shop of Aspen. The company also offers a wide selection of Oakley-branded technical and active apparel, footwear, watches and accessories. Oakley, Inc. is a subsidiary of Milan- and NYSE-listed Luxottica Group. Additional information is available at oakley.com.
