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August 31, 2017April 24, 2018

‘TODAY’ Show Talks All Things Digital Eye Strain

The Vision Council secured a digital eye strain-focused segment on NBC’s “TODAY,” a nationally syndicated morning show with an estimated viewership of 4,228,604, which aired this morning, Aug. 31. NBC medical news contributor, Dr. Natalie Azar educated viewers on the symptoms of and solutions to combat digital eye strain, highlighting key stats from The Vision Council’s VisionWatch survey unveiling insight on Americans’ screen habits and the effects, as well as other sourced information.

In the segment – which is also available on today.com, garnering 23,917,371 unique visitors per month – Dr. Azar presented the following four tips to help children and adults alleviate the effects of digital eye strain:

1. Despite their age, individuals should visit a local eyecare provider for an annual eye exam to discuss the state of their eye health, their symptoms and their digital device usage;
2. By adjusting their digital habits – for example, keeping screens at arm’s length away from the eyes and increasing the font size on screens – individuals can ensure they’re using their devices more effectively;
3. Taking frequent breaks from using digital devices allows the eyes to rest throughout the day, and consciously remembering to blink more helps keep the eyes moist;
4. Talking to an eyecare provider is key to getting in the know about the eyewear and lens options available to help relieve digital eye strain symptoms.

To view a video clip of the segment, please click HERE.

For more information about digital eye strain, visit thevisioncouncil.org/des.

August 30, 2017April 24, 2018

Kirk & Kirk Expand with New American Office

Since its launch in 2014, Kirk & Kirk’s popularity and reputation for beautiful, handmade and colourful eyewear has seen them develop a strong global following. In response to their growth, the British brand announces the opening of a new American office, which will allow them to better support the demand within this rapidly developing market.

The new office, based in Philadelphia will be led by James Koh – who brings more than a decade of experience working with some of the finest independent eyewear brands in the world. His skill and knowledge within the market is invaluable and it will be his responsibility to support the team of reps including Marie France Labbé, serving the East of Canada. The experienced and highly passionate team will help develop the Kirk & Kirk brand across the USA and Canada, maintaining their policy of selective distribution in independent opticians but also offering increased customer service levels with the support of the Philadelphia office.

Kirk & Kirk prides itself not only on their beautiful products but on providing a personal and professional level of customer service, a service that can be more efficiently managed from the new office. Since the office will hold stock, retailers will receive their products faster and avoid any custom or import issues, and of course be able to speak to someone in the same time zone.

The new office opens September 1^st.

Click HERE for the full press release.

August 30, 2017April 24, 2018

Essilor Warns Canadians About Prolonged Exposure to Blue Light

Back-to-school season will mean many Canadians are past vacation mode and headed back to the full-time grind at work. With this change in seasons also comes a caveat: more time spent looking at computer and digital tablet screens translates to increased exposure to blue light -the main consequence of these new visual behaviours.

Beyond chronic eye fatigue and sleep disruption, prolonged exposure to harmful blue light may affect long-term eye health and contribute to the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). One million Canadians are currently suffering from AMD and this number is expected to double in the next 30 years, especially among members of Generation Z and Millennials, all born in a screen-rich world, who will have been exposed to much greater amounts of blue light throughout their lives than their elders.

Protecting Against Blue Light

Thanks to the Eye Protect System™, developed by Essilor, eyeglass wearers can now benefit from optimal protection against harmful blue-violet light and UV rays. Combining Crizal^® treatments with Varilux^®, Eyezen™+ and Transitions^® enables to block at least 45% of harmful blue-violet light indoors and up to 88% outdoors, as well as protect against UV rays.

Eye care professionals are able to advise Canadians on the best solutions for their visual health needs and lifestyle, thereby providing them with the best protection.

Reducing Exposure to Blue Light

Besides the aforementioned solutions, there are many behaviours and attitudes we can easily adopt to reduce our exposure to blue light:

Reduce our screens’ brightness level and keep them at least 60 cm from our eyes (about at arm’s length)
Take breaks every 20 minutes and focus on objects at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds
Limit screen time, especially for children
Limit screen time in the evening, especially a few hours before bedtime
Wear polarized sun lenses like Xperio^® when outdoors (these block at least 87% of blue light); and combine these with Crizal^® to protect against UV rays.

Click HERE to read the full press release.

August 30, 2017April 24, 2018

Hubble Contacts Raises $10 M to Finance Canada Expansion

Hubble, America’s first direct-to-consumer contact lens brand, announced today the close of a $10MM Series A-III financing round, and the company’s first step toward international growth, with a launch in Canada. The Series A-III raise, which will aid Hubble’s international expansion plans, was led by existing investors, including FirstMark Capital, Greycroft Partners, Founders Fund, Wildcat Capital Management and Two River.

Since launching in November 2016, Hubble has grown at a rapid rate, acquiring tens of thousands of new subscribers, and more than $30MM in venture capital financing. The company has continued to partner with a large network of doctors across the United States, further developing strong business relationships within the medical community, while continuing to offer consumers a convenient and affordable option for their daily contact lenses.

Earlier this year, Hubble raised $16.5MM in a Series A investment round, which provided the company with the opportunity to purchase additional inventory to accommodate their growing base of customers. Because of this continued growth, Hubble was able to raise an additional $10MM in Series A-III financing, which is funding the company’s international expansion plans. Hubble’s launch into Canada is only the first step toward further global expansion, with plans to launch into Europe over the next year.

Ben Cogan, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Hubble, says, “Our mission is to continue to provide affordable, quality daily contact lenses to more people in more places, and to bring our product to Canada is just the beginning.”

“The direct-to-consumer model has become an integral part of the retail industry and we’re seeing more and more brands out there trying to replicate it,” noted Jesse Horwitz, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Hubble. “Our company has seen tremendous success with this model in the U.S., and we are looking forward to continuing this success on an international level.”

Hubble contacts are now available at ca.HubbleContacts.com, for $40 CAD a month.

Read the full press release here.

August 30, 2017April 24, 2018

Barbara Piper Announced as New President of Essilor Canada

Montreal, August 30, 2017: Today, Essilor Canada announced Barbara Piper as President effective September 1, 2017. Having worked at Essilor in various roles for more than 18 years, most recently as Vice President, Key Accounts Strategies & Solutions for Essilor of America, Barbara will be responsible for furthering the company’s growth strategy in Canada. Her mandate will centre on bringing innovation to market, facilitating partnerships and acquisitions, and connecting Canadians with eye health products to help them see better.

“Barbara has held several successful roles at Essilor and her knowledge of the lens business will benefit the profitable growth of the Essilor Group in Canada,” explained John Carrier, Chief Operating Officer, Essilor International. “Her track record for not only developing but executing growth strategies will propel our team to achieve a higher level of success. This is especially relevant today as the market continues to evolve and we face new challenges and opportunities.”

Essilor is focused on the development and wide distribution of new products for the segmented needs of consumers. For example, in Canada, Essilor will launch Varilux X and Crizal Sapphire 360 in early 2018. In addition to branding key products in key categories to increase awareness with Canadians, Essilor delivers a truly integrated service to eye care professionals, offering them training and marketing support.

“Essilor’s mission worldwide is to improve lives by improving sight for each person on our planet. In Canada, like everywhere else, the demand for vision correction and vision protection is growing,” said Barbara Piper, incoming President, Essilor Canada. “I’m inspired by the opportunity to work with eye care professionals and other partners to make better eye health a reality for Canadians.”

Barbara succeeds Pierre Bertrand, President, Essilor Canada, who will return to Dallas to begin a new role at Essilor of America effective mid-October. Pierre led Essilor Canada for almost three years and contributed to both its sales growth and profitability. The company thanks and acknowledges his passion for success in Canada.