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Introducing the Optical Vision Group

Daniel Beaulieu, President of Hudson’s Bay Optical and co-founder of Entrepôt de la Lunette, Optical Warehouse, Griffé Lunetier and Optique Avant-Garde, announces the centralisation of all management of the aforementioned banners, within the Optical Vision Group / Groupe Vision Optique. Online activities related to the co-owned GlassesGallery.ca retail store will also be integrated in the Optical Vision Group.

“We believe that Optical Vision Group is essential to the optical market across Canada. Thanks to our different banners within the group, we can offer customers eyeglasses at a fair price, no matter their style. Our mission in clear: to offer customers the best solutions for their eye care needs. Every day, our experts offer their advice to our customers based on their prescription, lifestyle, activities, and their budget,” explains Daniel Beaulieu. “We give people the possibility to own several pairs of eyeglasses at the best prices by offering great quality, choice and selection,” he adds.

By grouping 6 optical companies offering different solutions under one group, the Optical Vision Group is able to have a nation-wide presence spanning across Canada, with multiple points of sale, Tele-Optometry services that make use of the latest technology, as well as an online retail store. There are over 200 people, including 70 opticians and 15 optometrists that contribute to the development of the group and to implementing its vision.

Optical Vision Group’s Reach

It is in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, that the first Entrepôt de la Lunette store was opened, and the administrative head office of the Optical Vision Group was established, with its Canadian corporate office located in Ontario.

Within 5 years, the innovative Entrepôt de la Lunette concept flourished with the addition of 14 stores, 13 of which are located in the larger cities with the province of Quebec, as well as an English version of the banner, Optical Warehouse, located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Hudson’s Bay Optical has a presence in major Canadian cities including Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria. The Optical Vision Group also includes Griffé Lunetier in Trois-Rivières, where customers can find their favourite brands for less, while also benefiting from professional advice and services provided by the optician and stylists in store.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Transitions and the OAC Announce 2019 Students of Vision Scholarship Winners

Transitions  Optical and the Opticians Association of Canada (OAC) announce the winners of the 2019 Students of Vision Scholarship program: Naomi Kwong, Patricia Sanvictores and Mona Samani.

Naomi Kwong, a student optometrist at the University of Waterloo, will be awarded the grand prize scholarship of $2,500.

Patricia Sanvictores, a student optician at Douglas College, will be awarded a scholarship of $1,500.

Mona Samani, a student optician studying at Georgian College, will be awarded a scholarship of $500.

Entrants were tasked with describing their plan to recommend lens technology to patients/consumers by crafting a video, presentation or essay entry. Submissions were reviewed by a panel of judges and evaluated based on their demonstration of creativity, strategic thinking and ethics.

Kwong detailed her multi-faceted approach to recommending lens technology in a video submission, backed with various sources of relevant research and statistics. Sanvictores also created a video which explained the multiple tools, resources and types of patient lifestyles to consider when recommending lens technology. Samani submitted an essay which explained the various solutions lens technology could provide for patients and consumers.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Marcolin and GCDS Equals Disruptive Eyewear

Marcolin Group and GCDS, a clothing and accessory brand founded by brothers Giordano and Giuliano Calza, have announced their exclusive global partnership for the design, production and distribution of sunglasses and eyeglasses under the GCDS brand for the five-year period 2020 – 2024.

The first eyewear collection manufactured by the Marcolin Group was worn during the brand’s fashion show on September 21st, 2019. Irony, experimentation and street style are the key elements distinguishing the heart and soul of GCDS and the new SS2020 eyewear models.

Massimo Renon, CEO of Marcolin Group, remarked: “We are proud to have entered into this agreement with GCDS, a young and versatile brand, a benchmark in the luxury street style field. With this partnership, Marcolin Group is taking a further step towards the diversification of its portfolio. We are certain that both groups will benefit from the positive synergies and proud to collaborate with GCDS in defining a strategy to strengthen the eyewear segment at an international level”.

Giordano Calza, CEO of GCDS, commented: “For us, this partnership represents an important expansion of GCDS’s accessory portfolio. We took the strategic decision to work alongside an Italian partner that is a worldwide eyewear leading company”.

The frames will be available beginning April 2020 on www.gcds.it, in the brand’s flagship stores and on a select number of e-commerce platforms.

Click HERE for the full press release.

First Round of Essilor Base-of-Pyramid Fellowship Successfully Completed

Essilor successfully concluded the first run of its EBoP Fellowship program, first announced last October by the Essilor Base-of-Pyramid Innovation Lab to give five talented individuals the opportunity to collaborate with the Group in developing projects that have a social impact in underprivileged communities.

Starting from February this year, over a period of six months, Essilor’s first five EBoP fellows who come from different backgrounds and nationalities, were based in various BoP markets and worked with local teams to lead projects including: piloting and optimizing new and existing inclusive business models, formulating market entry strategies, developing communications solutions and conducting research studies. This helped them foster a deep understanding of local conditions and gain first-hand experience in inclusive business and philanthropic initiatives.

Watch the video here below and hear what the fellows had to say about their EBoP experience:

Click HERE for the full press release.

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