Covid-19: Eyewear major Luxottica steps up focus on new categories

With growing awareness around hygiene and safety in Covid-19 times, premium eyewear major Luxottica India is focussing on new growth avenues to meet the evolving needs of consumers.

As part of this strategy, the company is set to launch a new collection of clear glasses for outdoor and indoor protection under its brands Ray-Ban, Oakley and Vogue Eyewear next month.

Akash Goyle, Country Manager and MD of Luxottica India

Akash Goyle, Country Manager and MD of Luxottica India said that the main priority for the company currently is to build trust and confidence in consumers to shop at stores run by its retail partners with adoption of enhanced safety and hygiene protocols.

"As consumers' focus on safety grows, we expect to see demand for our specialised range of safety glasses offering higher degree of protection and have been developed for institutions, health workers, armed forces and first responders. At the same time, we are also launching a new collection of clear glasses to meet the consumers' evolving needs for both safety and fashion," he added.

"We believe consumers will seek eyewear as a protective accessory as they step outdoors and begin going to offices. The clear glasses portfolio has the potential to become a significant category in the coming months," he said.

Besides its proprietary brands, the company has a large portfolio of luxury eyewear licensed brands including Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors, Prada, Valentino and Versace.

As retail stores open up post lockdown, Goyle said consumers remain cautious and want to shorten their purchase journey at stores. "We are helping our retail partners to use digital platforms to showcase the products range, so consumers can select the products online before entering stores. At the same time, we are leveraging technology to launch a virtual try-on concept at the stores. So consumers don't need to touch products and can virtually try and compare products," he added.

So far, nearly 80 per cent of the company's franchise stores have opened doors for consumers, in line with the government norms. "We are witnessing pent-up demand and our retail partners are upbeat. We believe the July-September quarter will be the recovery phase and business will gradually ramp up as consumers gain confidence to shop. Beginning October, as the festive season commences, we expect to start witnessing the growth phase," he added.

While e-commerce channel's contribution is growing, the eyewear company believes brick and mortar stores will continue to play a key role. Goyle said luxury and premium categories tend to bounce back a lot faster than other categories post crisis. "With international vacations and fine-dining taking a backseat, there are very few avenues left for consumers to spend disposable income on besides shopping," he added.