Introduction: The global eyewear industry shows no sign of darkening, with market size projected to accelerate at its fastest pace in the next ten years, from US$146.1 in 2023 to US$215 billion in 2033. That’s according to a recent study by Spherical Insights & Consulting.
A significant contributor to this growth is the travel retail sector, where sunglasses have emerged as the fastest-growing category, as reported by Euromonitor International.
Travel retail is seen by many eyewear companies as a key growth driver and visibility channel, thanks to the continued recovery of international travel.
The growing demand for eyewear in global travel retail has been evidenced by the recent concept store openings by leading airport retailers worldwide.
Amid this boom, Mondottica is exploring its growth potential in the channel. Building on successful collaborations with airlines and cruise retailers, the UK-based company is extending its global reach with plans to launch its brands at key airports.
The Mondottica team is also preparing for its return to the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes (29 September-3 October), with additional brands in its portfolio and product innovations to highlight at the event.
In this interview with The Moodie Davitt Report, Mondottica National Accounts Manager Sunglasses & Travel Retail Louise Porte underscores the importance of offering brands that resonate with the consumer and outlines its travel retail plans.
For Mondottica, the vision is clear – to continue producing eyewear that not only looks good but feels comfortable and improves the quality of life.
Established more than 20 years ago as a single licence company, the eyewear specialist has grown to become a key player in the industry, designing for top names in the fashion world and forging strong collaborations with licensors.
From the smallest boutique opticians to the most-popular chain retailers, Mondottica distributes designer eyewear to more than 80 countries.
Over the years, the company has extended its global footprint with offices and operations in Hong Kong, London, Oyonnax, Molinges, Tokyo, Barcelona, Delhi, Moscow, New York and Sydney, as well as a distribution network across all continents.
Now led by CEO Tony Pessok, who took on the key leadership role in 2020, the company has welcomed a new era of growth of innovation.
Reflecting the new brand of leadership and continued expansion of its global portfolio, Mondottica unveiled a refreshed corporate identity in 2022.
Its diverse line-up of fashion and lifestyle brands includes All Saints, Anna Sui, Cath Kidston, Christian Lacroix, Hackett London, Joules, Karen Millen, Maje, Pepe Jeans, Sandro, Scotch & Soda, Ted Baker (worldwide except USA and Canada), United Colors of Benetton and Vivienne Westwood.
Among its bestsellers is Ted Baker, which has been a brand partner of Mondottica for over two decades.
Recognising the growth prospects in travel retail, the company is now focused on reinforcing its global presence and driving sales in the channel.
Mondottica National Accounts Manager Sunglasses & Travel Retail Louise Porte said: “GTR has been identified as a key area for growth in the business and along with organic growth in the UK and EU markets, we’re specifically targeting India and the Middle East.
“We have chosen to focus on these territories as we can see that the growth potential is significant and we have a number of brands that resonate strongly with the consumers in these regions.”
As reported, the eyewear specialist joined the Travel Retail Consortium in February, forming stronger partnerships in travel retail.
This year, the company has become a member of APTRA and made its initial investments to enter the India and Middle East markets. It is also exploring opportunities in cruise and airport retail.
Porte said: “Our priorities are focused in India and the Middle East and I am aiming to bring on airport retailers in these regions. In addition to this, I am also focusing on cruise as I think it’s a sales channel that is underrepresented in the sunglass category.”
Despite the burgeoning luxury eyewear market, Mondottica continues setting its sights on providing options that were previously too expensive for some buyers, and complement its diverse portfolio.
Porte said: “We never lead in a market, we always follow. So, we identify the brands that resonate with the consumer, or the PAX in that region and go from there.
“Our price points tend to complement other brands in the market, so our customers have the ability to offer the end consumer a far wider choice of product and capture those buyers that may previously have been priced out of the market.”
Amid the evolving market demands, Mondottica continues to diversify its offers by collaborating with different brands to reach out across varying consumer demographics.
Its latest travel retail releases include the Ted Baker’s SUN24 collection, featured at all UK airports and selected locations in Southern Europe with Avolta and Lagardère Travel Retail. Ted Baker sunglasses are also listed with Brittany Ferries and Condor Ferries and inflight with selected airlines.
In April, Mondottica also launched the AllSaints Spring/Summer 2024 eyewear range, which made its debut at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes last year.
Mondottica aims to keep up with the constantly changing trends in the eyewear category. Porte said: “We are seeing the return of a slimmer profile than of late – acetate is still a stronger story than metal and we’re moving toward more angular shapes.”
She also revealed new brand collaborations in the pipeline and product innovations to showcase at the upcoming TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes. “We will be launching florence by Mills, which is Millie Bobby Brown’s first sunglass range, into GTR in SS25 and are obviously showing in Cannes,” Porte explained.
“The range is fully sustainable and aimed at Gen Z, and is at an achievable price point – this is a first as far as sunglass ranges are concerned.
“We will be launching Reebok for 2025, the first sports fashion brand in the current Mondottica brand portfolio. We also have an innovative product which we are very excited about, it’s a technical innovation and we will be showing it and talking about it in Cannes.” ✈
