Record Year for Italian Eyewear
Monday, March 9 2015 | 00 h 00 min | Financial News
Exports of sunglasses, optical frames and Italian lenses increased 11.8% in 2014, reaching a record $4.346 billion CAD (3.110 billion).
A total of 94 million pairs of glasses (61 million and 33 million solar ophthalmic frames) were sold outside Italy by Italian manufacturers. This good performance allowed the Italian optical industry to record a total turnover of 4.431 billion Canadian dollars, up 9.4% compared to 2013.
The Americas sold a little less than 30% of these frames, up 9.6% from 2013, with stronger growth in the United States (12.7%). On their own, the United States accounts for 23% of all exports of Italian eyewear.
By the end of 2014, 868 companies made up the industry ,employing 16,195 people, up 2.3% compared to 2013, in addition to about 1,000 temporary workers. This increase is partly due to a return of production in Italy, due to increased production costs in Asia and growth in demand for luxury goods “made in Italy”.
