Specialist eyewear manufacturer B+D has reported a +27% sales increase for the first eight months of 2017, compared to the same period last year.
The growth was driven by additional sales from all geographical areas where B+D operates and from a mix of new and existing customers, the company said.
B+D CEO Roberto Crom said: “We have grown well in Europe and the Americas with Dufry, one of our long standing customers. At the start of the year we signed a global distribution contract with WH Smith and this has been significant in our first half sales growth in the Middle East.
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“We have also made some exciting distribution gains and we are especially pleased with our launch in Australia and New Zealand where we are convinced that our partner AWPL will make further progress over the next few months.
“Growth has not only come in the airports sector, we have had really strong growth with London Supply in its border stores in Puerto Iguazu and Tierra del Fuego.”
B+D said it plans to continue with its current strategy of reaching detailed purchase agreements with its retailer partners. Crom added: “At the moment we are talking to some of the leading players in the travel retail business with regard to firming up comprehensive worldwide supply agreements. We expect to finalise one or two of these deals before the end of the year and we are convinced that they will provide us with significant growth opportunities over the next year.”
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In other news, B+D will present a number of innovations at the upcoming TFWA World Exhibition (Yellow Village, A21).
“Our readers collection is always well liked by our retail partners as we continually seek to make it fashionable and relevant to the needs of today’s traveller,” noted Crom. “This year we have a great range of colours and designs and we constantly strive to introduce the best technological improvements.
“At Cannes we will be showing our ultra-compact Bridge range and already we know this is a hit with travellers in the destinations where we have trialled this range extension. We know that travellers buy our readers as a fashion accessory as well as the intrinsic quality and the Bridge collection is another addition to this concept.
“Our Blue Ban range which filters harmful light from electronic mobile devices has also been exceedingly popular this year and we will be showing new colours at the exhibition.”
B+D will also be presenting additions to the Copenhagen Sunglasses collection.
Crom said: “The new Solskin range was designed bearing in mind our “easy to exhibit, easy to sell” motto. In addition to a great assortment of three essential sunglasses styles at very affordable prices, we will be offering retailers portable, stackable cases with a fun pictographic system that simplifies the purchase process easily matching consumers with their desired products. The range and the merchandising solution we offer was specially conceived for high traffic locations.”
