Luxottica Buying Oakley???

**optirep** · 06-20-2007, 10:23 PM

2.1 Billion Dollars

**optigrrl** · 06-20-2007, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by impact500

Press release this evening. LUX to buy Oakley.

Yup. See link:

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070620/luxot...kley.html?.v=1

**Jubilee** · 06-20-2007, 11:42 PM

Great... Glad I haven't brought Oakley in then..

SO I guess this means that SGH won't have to worry about losing Oakley anymore..

**Johns** · 06-20-2007, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by makingaspectacle

How often do get to own and be in control of such an amazing thing and have the ability to give that to your kids? In the long run, his shares of the company will be worth far more than Luxottica can throw at him even if they over value it. I don't believe that everything has a price in this world.

So much for that theory...:hammer:

Jim Jannard, chairman and founder of Foothill Ranch, Calif.-based Oakley, said he is excited that the companies have found a way to join forces.
"Oakley's technology and performance is one of the world's best kept secrets and this partnership should empower our ability to tell our story throughout the world," Jannard said in a statement. "Oakley will continue to be Oakley but with much greater resources and a platform for realizing the true potential of our brand and company."

**RichB** · 06-20-2007, 11:46 PM

Reuters announced the deal about 2 hours ago. Luxottica bought Oakley for $2.1 billion (all cash!)

They do keep things interesting... don't they?

Rich.

**Ph0t0n** · 06-21-2007, 12:04 AM

Of all the interesting changes this will bring, the most significant will probably be with Maui Jim. I have heard rumblings that MJ will be phased out from all SGH and other LUX/Oakley owned retail doors (which is just about all major retail doors). Oakley will brand the sport pieces and REVO will copy/compete with all zyl/glass frames. MJ will have to survive on via Safilo/Soltice doors (no enough to be significant), opticians (which don’t sell much sun product), and sporting goods accounts (which suck as selling reputable sunwear), this “merger” will be devastating to MJ in the end.

**AWTECH** · 06-21-2007, 12:16 AM

Originally Posted by Ph0t0n

Of all the interesting changes this will bring, the most significant will probably be with Maui Jim. I have heard rumblings that MJ will be phased out from all SGH and other LUX/Oakley owned retail doors (which is just about all major retail doors). Oakley will brand the sport pieces and REVO will copy/compete with all zyl/glass frames. MJ will have to survive on via Safilo/Soltice doors (no enough to be significant), opticians (which don’t sell much sun product), and sporting goods accounts (which suck as selling reputable sunwear), this “merger” will be devastating to MJ in the end.

I think that this merger will energize a number of truely independant brands for growth minded independant retailers, both sunglass and optical.

With Maui Jim being a private company they can have temporary decrease in revenue if they are phased out of SGH and deploy a new independant strategy that could replace this business and give the retailers a reason to support the change.

I think this move offers many opportunities for independant optical retailers and independant quality frame and sunglass companies.

**Johns** · 06-21-2007, 02:02 AM

Originally Posted by Ph0t0n

MJ will have to survive on via Safilo/Soltice doors (no enough to be significant), opticians (which don’t sell much sun product), and sporting goods accounts (which suck as selling reputable sunwear), this “merger” will be devastating to MJ in the end.

They lost me when the jumped in bed with Costco...

**Jedi** · 06-21-2007, 03:55 AM

I still can't get my head around this one. Seriously how is Lux going to provide "much greater resources and a platform for realizing the true potential of our brand and company." Oakley is the only brand I'll dealt with that the consumer often knows more than the Optician or salesperson. This reeks of pure greed and any bets on when Jannard will step down, a hour, a day, a week after the deal is done. Lux has ruined many sunglass lines before this, Revo, Ray-ban, Persol and Oakley will be no exception.

**rep** · 06-21-2007, 08:22 AM

This is the best I have seen as to why - jedi.

This goes way beyond the US market.

http://biz.yahoo.com/pz/070620/121739.html

Rep

**LENNY** · 06-21-2007, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by Ph0t0n

I have heard rumblings that MJ will be phased out from all SGH and other LUX/Oakley owned retail doors (which is just about all major retail doors). MJ will have to survive on via Safilo/Soltice doors (no enough to be significant), opticians (which don’t sell much sun product), and sporting goods accounts (which suck as selling reputable sunwear), this “merger” will be devastating to MJ in the end.

I am happy!
Maybe then MJ will take care of their small private customers and not send patients to repair their glasses at their facility!

**EyeFitWell** · 06-21-2007, 09:24 AM

::Holding Hands in Prayer::
Dear Evil Luxottica,
You and I have never been close, but I have a very special request for you:
Please (FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!) Please stamp model numbers or names on your frames, in addition to eye, bridge, and temple size, and a color code. It would make me ever so happy if I could identify a frame w/o whipping out the catalog and pouring over it w/ pt to find a match.
It would make me so happy if you could simplify what lens options are available for a frame...
While you're at it, please inform your CS reps not to argue that what I have in my hand doesn't exist (we don't make X with Y)?? I'm holding it, I sold it in 2004 to the pt! grrr....
Amen!

**drk** · 06-21-2007, 09:52 AM

It's not like Oakley sunwear were hard-to-get in the mall. Now they'll be in LC as well as SGH.

SGH and LC already had a "synergy" where Rx SGH patients would fill Rx at LC.

I don't think this will look that much different, on the surface.

For Oakley "dealers", eventually Oakley's customer service, billing, policies, warranties, etc. will at least rise to the level of Luxottica's. My main gripe in dealing with Oakley has been that they are not "truly" from the optical community and don't do things the "normal" way. Here's hoping that changes.

But, the big, big picture is that Luxottica's strategy towards the independent is scarily coming true! They apparently can waive enough cash around that every company (even mega-billions Oakley) will cash in...every good brand (see Ralph Lauren) will jump ship...

Truly, we are being left with more and more anonymous frames to choose from...Empire Lux will be the "store with the brands".

Any thoughts about OP and PS? I still think they're sell-off bait.

Question: Is Leo Del V the "antichrist"?

**Fezz** · 06-21-2007, 09:59 AM

I just question=When does the money well dry up?

There has to be a point when the dollars are just not there to buy anything else. I understand that most of these deals are CASH, not debt loans. Didn't Moulin(sp?) run out of cash eventually and implode? Maybe it will happen to Luxottica?

I do know one thing for sure...my personal boycott of them didn't hurt 'em too much!

**drk** · 06-21-2007, 10:28 AM

Oh, they'll feel the pain, alright, when thousands of accounts who spend up to 20K/yr with them will boycott!:angry:

Do the math..
$20,000 x 5000 independent opticals boycotting = $100 million in sales lost per year!

BWAHAHAHA, who are we kidding!:D

Ok, seriously...:idea:
Independent opticals will always be independent. There will always be some cool brand out there at the Expos that will drive customers into the indy opticals.

If everyone wants to wear "Mc Glasses" then the indy is in jeapoardy, anyway. Oakley will now become "Mc Glasses".

This does not hurt the independent optical.

And if the independent did want to take the "road more travelled" and become a Luxottica outlet, the independent will still have the quality of service and expertise, which goes a long way.

So all is not lost.:cheers: