Italian eyewear industry: exports play leading role in first semester of 2011

Also in the first semester of 2011 the eyewear sector confirmed the recovery that began in 2010 thanks primarily to exports, and testified once again to the international calling of Made in Italy products.
The data (for January through June 2011) show a 15% increase in exports (+16% sunglasses and +14% frames) against the first semester of 2010.
Italian exports of frames and sunglasses had two-figure results in the United States (which has always been the sector’s first reference market) and in Europe (with excellent results in France, Germany and Spain), but above all in the Far East, the Middle East and South America. This is a sign that Italian companies are able to seize the opportunities that develop in emerging markets.
There was a downturn in a domestic market that is finding it difficult to recover after the crisis (-1%). An alarming situation is the constant increase in the renewal period for prescription eyeglasses and for some time now also for sunglasses. Italian consumers now change their prescription glasses on average every 4.2 years and sunglasses every 3.9 years (3.2 and 2.8 years, respectively, in 2007).

In terms of billings, eyewear sector growth during the first semester of 2011 stood at about 10%.

Exports by geographical area
Exports in the sun-vision segment were: +14% to Europe – which confirms its leadership of the reference area with a share of over 53% of exports; +13.3% to the Americas (+11.5% to North America, +21.5% to Central and South America), and +25.2% to Asia.
Positive results not only for sunglasses but also for the vision segment. Overall, sun-vision exports were +12% in the United States, but above all +19% in France, +11.7% in Spain and +26.1% in Germany compared to the first semester of 2010.
Exports in the first semester of 2011 were significantly positive also to emerging countries (Arab Emirates +19.9%, South Korea +10.8%, Turkey +22.1%, Mexico +26.2%, Russia +54.4%, China +26% and Saudi Arabia +25.9%).

The French market
During the first semester, exports to France, the second reference market for the Italian eyewear industry with a weight of over 15%, were very positive with an increase (sun + vision) of 19%. Specifically, sunglasses stood at +20.9 and frames at +16.3%.
As far as prescription frames are concerned, thanks also to the tax benefits enjoyed by French consumers for the purchase of eyeglasses and which support their market, France has become the first reference country for Italian exports in the segment.
France is also the only country in which Italian exports remained stable, even during the peak of the economic crisis in 2009.