FRANCE. In our new video series ‘Moodie Davitt Video View’, we bring you exclusive on-the-ground coverage from the most innovative brands in travel retail straight from the industry’s most important events.
In this edition, EssilorLuxottica Global Travel Retail Director Alessio Crivelli takes The Moodie Davitt Report on a tour of the the eyewear giant’s vibrant Cannes stand. Crivelli shared his insights into the changing world of eyewear and highlighted the demand for luxury and innovation. He also outlined the most important sunglasses trends and previewed the company’s innovation pipeline.
EssilorLuxottica is on a mission to deliver a memorable eyewear shopping experience to its customers, which was evidenced by the catwalk-style entrance to its stand. The catwalk creates a link between EssilorLuxottica and the fashion houses linked to its eyewear licences.
“Luxury is a big trend, and we have so many brands for that. This year, we want to welcome our guests with this catwalk-style entrance which gives us the opportunity to focus on luxury,” Crivelli said.
Its Cannes presence underscored the company’s dedication to luxury, innovation and creating immersive experiences in travel retail.
As reported, a dedicated space inside the stand showcased the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses alongside new fixtures. Swarovski’s travel retail launch was spotlighted with a statement wall featuring its debut premium eyewear collection, while Prada fixtures further enhanced the space.
When asked about the significance of travel retail for EssilorLuxottica, Crivelli said: “Travel retail offers a great opportunity to showcase our brands to billions of international consumers.
“Travel retail offers an incredible opportunity for us to meet new customers and engage with existing ones. We need to levergae the global reach of this channel and our partnerships to provide a truly immersive shopping experience for travellers everywhere.”
Crivelli also shared his insights into the trends that are shaping the sunglasses category. He said: “Brands and retailers need to work together to create an offer that combines both entertainment, engagement, sustainability and innovation.
“We all know that the industry has a specific focus on sustainability. Brands need to be innovative not just in terms of products, but also in creating memorable experience, exclusivity and finding new ways to engage with consumers.”
EssilorLuxottica is embracing innovation with the launch of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, which boast video recording, photo capture, music and livestreaming features. Demonstrating the power of the innovation live on camera, Crivelli said: “Last week we finally released the second version of our Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. This is a significant step forward in the smart glasses market and offers something new and innovative.”
Looking ahead, Crivelli identified three major priorities for EssilorLuxottica: new brands, engagement and innovation. He said: “We need to continue to invest in this industry because it’s really important for us.
“Together with our brands, we need to deliver an incredible experience to travellers and present our brands in the best way possible. The retail experience is key to achieving this.”
Concluding, Crivelli shared a final message for the industry: “Believe in our category, believe in sunglasses, because it is a very strong and resilient category. We are ready to partner with the industry and its customers to build the category and grow together.” ✈
