Safilo Group

It was in 1878 that a manufacturing site was first opened to produce lenses and frames in Calalzo di Cadore, in the Venetian Alps. The Safilo name dates back to 1934, when Guglielmo Tabacchi bought this first Italian production site and founded a new eyewear company, making it the oldest player in the Italian eyewear industry.[6]

In the 1930s, exports expanded to many European countries, North Africa, the Middle East and South America. During the second world war, Safilo was forced to produce only one type of eyewear, a celluloid frame in two colours, amber and reddish Havana brown, that were all sent to Germany. After the war, exports to other European nations resumed and operations expanded to Rome and Milan with exports beginning in the United States. In 1974, the founder of Safilo died and his sons took over running the business. In the 1970s, Safilo opened sales offices in various European nations, patented the Elasta hinge, and introduced a popular UFO model of sunglasses.[7]

In the 1980s, Safilo developed designer collections and gained full control of American eyewear company Starline Optical Corp. He subsequently acquired then sunglass-maker Friuli-based Oxsol and listed Safilo on the Milan Stock Exchange. In the 1990s, Safilo entered the Asian market in Hong Kong, opened branches in more European nations, South Africa, Japan and Brazil, acquired American sports eyewear maker Smith Sports Optics, Inc, and Austria's Carrera Optyl.

In May 2001, Safilo Chairman Vittorio Tabacchi began a takeover bid in which he acquired full ownership of Safilo. The company returned to the Milan Stock Exchange in December 2005. Also in 2001, the company inaugurated its new centralized warehouse at its Padua headquarters, a state-of-the-art structure with highly automated facilities. At this point, the distribution platform consisted of three main centres, located in Padua; Denver, Colorado; and Hong Kong.

In 2002, Safilo acquired the Solstice Sunglasses chain in US.

In 2008 and 2009, Hal Holding NV increased its ownership to 37.23% of the company.[5]

In January 2018, Safilo Group launched luxury eyewear collections along with Elie Saab Couture and Oxydo brands.[8]

Safilo owns its private collection about the history of eyewear and of the company.[9]

Safilo's full year 2017 total net sales of Euro 1,047.0 million decreased 16.4% at current exchange rates and 15.5% at constant exchange rates compared to Euro 1,252.9 million in the full year 2016. In the year, wholesales revenues equaled Euro 981.7 million, down 16.7% at current exchange rates and 15.8% at constant exchange rates compared to Euro 1,177.8 million in 2016. The net sales of the Going Forward Brand Portfolio decreased by 3.9% at constant exchange rates (-3.9% excl. retail).[11]

For the fiscal year 2014, revenues at Safilo stood at 1,178.7 million euros (1,277.8 million dollars) representing a 5.1 percent rise against 2013, and revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2014 was 11.2 percent against the fourth quarter of 2013.[12] In the first quarter of 2015, the turnover of Safilo in Europe was up 2.6 percent or over 2.8 percent at constant exchange rates.[13]

In 2010, the Safilo Group's revenues were up 6.8% over 2009, with net sales at €1,079.9 million or €1.1 billion.[5] Sales have been determined by prescription frames (38%), sunglasses (54.3%) and sport and other products (7.7%). Safilo's products are primarily sold to wholesale clients through approximately 1000,000 points of sale in about 130 countries in the world.[14]

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