LAHAINA, Maui—Maui Jim communicated to its customers’ early last week that “the company has concluded its distribution agreement with all Luxottica-owned retail stores worldwide, effective immediately.”

“This is an amicable decision,” said Chris Abbruzzese, Maui Jim’s vice president of marketing. “In recent months, given Luxottica’s long term strategy of vertical integration, it became increasingly clear that the continuation of our relationship was no longer in the best interest of the Maui Jim brand or ultimately, our consumer.”

In a statement released by Maui Jim and in letters to its customers, the company said that it released this news in order to “communicate our important decision to our trade partners and industry members quickly and accurately” and that it “will continue to offer consumers its extensive, 200-SKU line through more than 15,000 chain and independent retail outlets.”

“We are relying on our trade partners, who include the world’s most innovative and successful retailers, to represent Maui Jim and to continue to build awareness for our products and service,” continued Abbruzzese. “Our future rests upon our mutually rewarding relationship, which we will continue to nurture. For our part, Maui Jim will continue to offer superior support to our retail trade partners and provide them—and consumers—with our full line of men’s and women’s sunglasses.”

In response to questions from VMail, Abbruzzese said Maui Jim had been selling in all company-owned Luxottica chains in a relationship that started in 1992-93 before Sunglass Hut was purchased by Luxottica, though he declined to comment on what percentage of the company’s business was represented by Luxottica stores.

A Luxottica spokesperson commented, "Maui Jim has been a long-time partner of Luxottica. We acknowledge this development and at this time we have no further comment."

Luxottica Group S.p.A. (MTA:LUX, NYSE:LUX) owns the Sunglass Hut, LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Optical Shops of Aspen, OPSM, and Bright Eyes retail chains.