Why so much hate for essilor?

[Loki]

This is something I've wondered about for a while now.
My practice is a Boots Opticians, and our labs are all Essilor, linked directly to our operating system, and our 'own brand' lenses are actually essilor made. We also do a lot of zeiss, via our computer system, but that gets sent to the same lab where they simply use zeiss lenses. For anything complicated or specific we prefer to do a zeiss paper order rather than a system order, as we can have more leeway with zeiss. Now, I am a zeiss zealot, as my manager would say, and I would prioritise zeiss lenses over essilor any day, but I have seen so much hate for Essilux on this site, and I just wondered what the root of it is.

So, long time optiboarders - Why does everyone hate Essilor? Legitimately wanting to understand.

[drk]

Because they hate us?

[kdw613]

I have seen them take over every single facet of the business. I saw them: Buy Eyemed, Buy Ray-Ban, Buy Sunglass Hut, By Oakley, Acquire Pearle/Sears Optical, Buy Foster Grant, Buy Hilco, take Younger/Nikon, start eyeglass.com, eyeglassesusa.com and fire countless professionals along the way, just to drive the bottom line, their main objective.

I worked for them and personally cared more about driving "KPI", rather than doing what's right. Had to leave and distance myself from them, whenever possible.

[IC-UC]

Depends on which side of the equation you are on. If you compete with them in frames or lenses or optical products, then you will most likely be massively undercut where you wonder if its worth continuing, or most likely end up selling to them to save the heartache, as they prefer to have it all vertically integrated in any case. This is no blight on anyone who works for them, as i know a good deal of decent people there, its just the way they go about their business

[Kwill212]

The most important thing to Essilor is $$$$ and crushing competition. Buying out other companies and shutting down their successful products or making them worse and jacking up the cost. Also I hate their lens designs but that's secondary to their predatory business practices.

[NAICITPO]

I have seen them take over every single facet of the business. I saw them: Buy Eyemed, Buy Ray-Ban, Buy Sunglass Hut, By Oakley, Acquire Pearle/Sears Optical, Buy Foster Grant, Buy Hilco, take Younger/Nikon, start eyeglass.com, eyeglassesusa.com and fire countless professionals along the way, just to drive the bottom line, their main objective.

I worked for them and personally cared more about driving "KPI", rather than doing what's right. Had to leave and distance myself from them, whenever possible.

For context, most of these moves were done by Lux before they joined with Essilor.

I too worked for the evil empire and I can attest to the KPI atmosphere as well. But that is corporate America, big business only cares about driving money to the shareholders. I can say my time at the evil empire has made me better than most of the other opticians I have worked with at selling multiple pairs, and selling the best products. And doing that in a way that doesn't come off as a used car salesman. I am better off for having worked there but I also would not go back.​

I don't hate Essilor products, the practice I am at right now sells mostly Essilor products and they are pretty easy to work with. As someone who does the edging at my shop I can appreciate the non-slip coating. I think Sapphire is the best looking and now with the better scratch resistance I think it is the best functioning AR on the market.

[brucekrymow]

​Essilor Buying Up More....

• https://www.visionmonday.com/busines...rg-engineering

• https://www.visionmonday.com/busines...vf-corporation

Heidelberg makes sense, but a skater-dude clothing line?​

[juno]

Yeah, the primary issue probably most of us have with Essilor is that it is inextricably linked to Lux. Essilor the lens and lens options are, broadly fine. Essilor the COMPANY, on the other hand, is borderline (I prefer the term "outright") monopolistic, at least in the US market. By your mention of Boots and "prioritise", I'm guessing you're UK-based, so these specific Essilux monopoly issues may not apply to you, or at least come with a different set of facts. See above for the wide range of hellscape the US gets to endure in regards to Essilux's corporate practices

[Kwill212]

Yeah, the primary issue probably most of us have with Essilor is that it is inextricably linked to Lux.

I wouldn't say that at all. They've been the same company now for 6 years. But Essilor has always been a much larger threat to competition than Lux. Don't get me wrong I hate Lux too. But there are hundreds(thousands?) of alternative frame manufacturers other than Lux. How many lens manufacturers are there? A dozen, if you stretch it. Luxottica appeared to have a monopoly to people who were to lazy to the most basic of information gathering. Essilor appears to have a monopoly, it's damn close.

[Steve Machol]

​Essilor Buying Up More....

• https://www.visionmonday.com/busines...rg-engineering

• https://www.visionmonday.com/busines...vf-corporation

Heidelberg makes sense, but a skater-dude clothing line?​

Well, at least they haven't bought OptiBoard.

[CME4SPECS]

Well, at least they haven't bought OptiBoard.

When they do...I quit!

[Elvis Is Alive]

Essilux will say they support independent practices and then do everything they can to compete directly against you. There is where alot of the hate comes from IMO. I worked for Lux for almost 10 years. So happy to be in private practice now. We only work with other independent businesses, suppliers, etc. Only thing Essilux related we use is Transitions.

[KrystleClear]

It's the fact that they keep buying up everything. Essilor not only has lenses but owns Luxottica, and optical chains like Lenscrafters. They own Eyemed, a vision insurance. To me, they've got their fingers in too many pots. It's a monopoly. One entity should not control that much of the market.