Iconic sport performance and lifestyle brand is paired with LensCrafters convenient prescription service at more than 500 North American stores MASON, Ohio, June 12
MASON, Ohio, June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new program launching this week
at more than 500 select LensCrafters locations, North America's largest
retailer of prescription eyewear is now offering customers the combined
benefits of Oakley's popular and innovative prescription eyewear products and
LensCrafters optical expertise, wide selection, one-stop convenience and
service expertise.
"Our pilot program for Oakley ophthalmic and prescription sunglasses
clearly proved to be a big winner with LensCrafters customers," said Frank
Bayhnam, Luxottica Retail's General Manager and Executive Vice President for
the LensCrafters brand. "We are honored to roll out this larger scale program
that offers our customers Oakley's cutting-edge eyewear technology,
prescription optical innovations and world renowned styling along with
LensCrafters high quality, convenient service options."
"We have very high expectations from our retail partners and remain
selective in our distribution, and our shared commitment to excellence, which
makes LensCrafters a valuable partner in this program," said Colin Baden,
president of Oakley. "The relationship expands our ability to bring the best
of Oakley's science and art to those with uncompromising standards."
A full range of Oakley optical styles now available at select LensCrafters
includes new designs such as Rotor(TM), a self-assured style in lightweight
C-5(TM) alloy that features a two-color scheme extended across multiple frame
parts. Fans of the Oakley Authentic lens program will also be happy to know
they can use that option to customize their Oakley optical styles when
purchasing at LensCrafters.
For Oakley prescription sunglasses, LensCrafters customers can also select
from a wide selection of styles such as the popular Hijinx(TM), with designs
that capture the inspirations and lifestyles of Oakley's action sports
athletes. All Oakley prescription sunglasses from LensCrafters are customized
with Oakley Authentic premium prescription optics.
Find more information and photos of Oakley styles available at
LensCrafters, or locate the nearest LensCrafters location that offers Oakley
frames by visiting www.lenscrafters.com.
About the Oakley Authentic program:
Oakley Authentic prescription lenses feature the unbeatable clarity and
visual fidelity of High Definition Optics(R) (HDO(R)). HDO(R) offers the
highest level of impact protection available, as well as 100% UV filtering
achieved by Plutonite(R) lens material. Single vision and progressive lenses
are available, and each lens is custom fabricated to the customer's
prescription. Oakley Rx lens options include Iridium(R) lens coatings that
reduce glare and balance light for specific environments; precision lens
colors to enhance contrast, boost depth perception and improve color
recognition; and polarization technology that offers better than 99%
efficiency while eliminating the haze and visual distortion common to ordinary
polarized lenses.
Promotional materials featuring Oakley skate boarder Bob Burnquist support
the new program at LensCrafters, including images prominently displayed at
participating LensCrafters locations. Voted Best Vert Skateboarder by his
peers, Burnquist's list of contest wins includes the X Games, Gravity Games,
OP King of Skate, Vans Triple Crown, Slam City Jam, countless Brazilian
competitions, and many others.
About LensCrafters
LensCrafters is the largest optical retailer in the world based on revenue
with more than 900 locations in the United States and Canada. LensCrafters is
wholly owned by Luxottica Group. Luxottica Group, based in Milan, is the
world leader in design, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of
prescription frames and sunglasses. Additional information is available at
www.lenscrafters.com and www.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 Dragon, Fox Racing,
Mosley Tribes, Oliver Peoples and Paul Smith Spectacles. In addition to its
worldwide wholesale business, the company operates retail locations including
Oakley Stores, The Optical Shop of Aspen and Sunglass Icon, the second largest
sunglass specialty chain in the United States. The company also offers a wide
selection of Oakley-branded apparel, footwear, watches and accessories.
Additional information is available at www.oakley.com.
About Luxottica Group S.p.A.
Luxottica Group is a global leader in eyewear, with over 6,200 optical and
sun retail stores in North America, Asia-Pacific, China, South Africa and
Europe and a strong brand portfolio that includes our key house brand,
Ray-Ban, the best selling sun and prescription eyewear brand in the world, as
well as, among others, license brands Bvlgari, Burberry, Chanel, Dolce &
Gabbana, Donna Karan, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Tiffany
and Versace, and other key house brands Oakley, Oliver Peoples, Vogue, Persol,
Arnette and REVO. In addition to a global wholesale network that touches over
130 countries, the Group manages leading retail brands such as LensCrafters,
Pearle Vision and Sunglass Icon in North America, OPSM and Laubman & Pank in
Asia-Pacific, and Sunglass Hut globally. The Group's products are designed and
manufactured in six Italy-based high-quality manufacturing plants, in the only
two China-based plants wholly-owned by a premium eyewear manufacturer, and in
manufacturing facilities in the United States acquired as part of the Oakley
acquisition. For fiscal year 2007, Luxottica Group (NYSE: LUX; MTA: LUX)
posted consolidated net sales of euro 5 billion. Additional information on the
Group is available at www.luxottica.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking
statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Such statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those which are
anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the
ability to successfully integrate Oakley's operations, the ability to realize
expected synergies from the merger with Oakley, the ability to successfully
introduce and market new products, the ability to maintain an efficient
distribution network, the ability to predict future economic conditions and
changes in consumer preferences, the ability to achieve and manage growth, the
ability to negotiate and maintain favorable license arrangements, the
availability of correction alternatives to prescription eyeglasses,
fluctuations in exchange rates, the ability to effectively integrate other
recently acquired businesses, as well as other political, economic and
technological factors and other risks and uncertainties described in our
filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These
forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof, and we do not
assume any obligation to update them.
SOURCE LensCrafters
