From the pages of Images Retail (July 2009)

An Eye for an Eye
By Sangita Ghosh

"The optical accessories business in India is still at a nascent stage and the market is hugely underserved. But with more opportunities being created in the organised retail market, we see the segment growing rapidly. We at Himalaya Optical are trying to grab every opportunity in the optical retail space and have already created a dedicated management team to act swiftly in the changing dynamics of the marketplace," informs Sarat Binani, managing director, Himalaya Optical Pvt Ltd.

Himalaya Optical Pvt Ltd is one of the pioneers in the vision care retail. Starting its journey 1948 in Eastern India, the optical retail chain serves both wholesale and retail market. The brand boasts of being a pioneer in the concept of exclusive showroom chain of one specific product – the eyewear accessories.

Currently, the organised eyewear market comprises of contact lenses, prescription eyewear and sunglasses. With the number of international premium brands foraying in India, the Indian retailers are intently playing to the tunes of the potential in this segment. Himalaya Optical has grown manifold both in terms of sales and market share since its inception.

Earlier, the eyewear market in India was largely unorganised where small retailers reigned and very few retailers had set up store chains to tap the national branded space; prominent among them being GKB Opticals, Himalaya Optical, Lawrence & Mayo Opticals etc. Since then, host of brands have entered the market catering to the prescription glasses as well as the fashion and accessories’ demands. In 2007, Titan Industries Ltd forayed into the segment with the launch of its first Titan Eye+ store in the country.

Joining the bandwagon was Vision Express, a JV between Pearle Europe and Reliance Retail Ltd, The Eyewear Store from Odyssey India Ltd, and Foresight Vision Care Company Pvt Ltd.


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