Mondottica Awarded ISO 9001 Certification

By Staff
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 2:23 PM NOTTINGHAM, U.K.—Mondottica has announced that the company has been awarded ISO 9001:2015 certification, an internationally recognized standard that ensures that its products and services meet the needs of partners and customers through an effective quality management system (QMS). The ISO 9001 standard has been adopted by over a million organizations worldwide and ensures customer satisfaction is a top priority.

Retail Sales Rise in April, CNBC/National Retail Federation Reports

By Staff
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 1:43 PM A new report from the CNBC/National Retail Federation shows retail sales grew slightly in April. An early Easter, however, led to an overall year-over-year decline.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), total retail sales, excluding automobiles and gasoline, were up 0.26 percent in April seasonally adjusted month-over-month, but down 0.6 percent unadjusted year-over-year in April. This contrasts with March retail sales, which rose 0.36 percent month-over-month and 2.72 percent year-over-year.

The NRF reports that the driving force behind the decline was the timing of Easter this year, which fell at the end of March, unlike the previous year when the holiday occurred in mid-April. Total sales, however, were up 1.82 percent year-over-year for the first four months of the year and core sales were up 2.31 percent.

Declines were seen in electronics and appliance store retail sales rose 2.14 percent month-over-month seasonally adjusted but were down 1.55 percent year-over-year unadjusted. 

Furniture and home furnishings stores were also up 1.67 percent month-over-month, seasonally adjusted, but down 3.28 percent year-over-year unadjusted. Grocery and beverage stores were down 1.11 percent month-over-month, seasonally adjusted, and down 4.46 percent year-over-year unadjusted.

Accessories Council Celebrates 30th Anniversary and 2024 Honorees at Annual ACE Awards

By Staff
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 12:24 AM NEW YORK—The Accessories Council hosted its annual Accessories Council Excellence Awards (ACE) Awards on May 7, 2024, at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. The organization also celebrated its 30th anniversary at the sold-out gala, marking three decades of recognizing individuals and companies who have made great strides in raising awareness of the accessories industry. The 2024 event honored ACE Award recipients across 11 categories, spotlighting global brands and pioneers and positioning them at the forefront of the fashion industry. In the eyewear industry, Foster Grant was awarded the Legacy Award.

Lensar Reports First Quarter 2024 Results and Provides Business Update

By Staff
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 12:21 AM ORLANDO, Fla.—Lensar, Inc. (Nasdaq: LNSR), a medical technology company focused on femtosecond laser treatment of cataracts, has announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, and provided an update on key operational initiatives.

Vuzix Reports a Revenue Loss for First Quarter of 2024

By Staff
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 12:18 AM ROCHESTER, N.Y.—Vuzix Corporation, a supplier of smart glasses and augmented reality (AR) technologies and products, has announced first-quarter results for 2024.

Mondottica Awarded ISO 9001 Certification

By Staff
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 12:15 AM NOTTINGHAM, U.K.—Mondottica has announced that the company has been awarded ISO 9001:2015 certification, an internationally recognized standard that ensures that its products and services meet the needs of partners and customers through an effective quality management system (QMS).

Americans Don’t Feel Close to Others in Their Country and Local Community

By Staff
Monday, May 13, 2024 1:14 PM Americans are less likely than people abroad to feel close to others in their country and community, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey of 24 nations. This is especially the case among certain groups of Americans, including younger adults, those with lower incomes and less education, those who identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party, and those who are religiously unaffiliated.

Across all 24 countries surveyed, a median of 83 percent of adults said they felt very or somewhat close to other people in their country. A majority of U.S. adults (66 percent) also hold this view, but Americans are the least likely among those in the countries surveyed to do so.

According to the survey results, even fewer Americans feel close to people in their local community—54 percent feel a connection to others near them, compared with a median of 78 percent of adults across all 24 countries. South Korea is the only country with a lower share of adults who feel connected with others in their community (50 percent).

Ray-Ban Sponsors Met Gala After-Party

By Staff
Monday, May 13, 2024 11:13 AM Ray-Ban has shared highlights from THE AFTER 2024, an extravagant Met Gala after-party hosted by Doja Cat, Guram Gvasalia, Serena Williams, Janelle Monae, Teyana Taylor and Rita Ora. Ray-Ban was a sponsor of the party, which had an impressive list of guests.

Prevent Blindness to Host the 2024 ASPECT Patient Engagement and Advocacy Summit May 14-16 in Washington, D.C.

By Staff
Monday, May 13, 2024 12:27 AM WASHINGTON, D.C.—Prevent Blindness, a nonprofit eye health and safety organization, announced that it will host the ASPECT Patient Engagement and Advocacy Summit, May 14-16, 2024, at the Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Summit will bring together ASPECT (Advocacy, Support, Perspective, Empowerment, Communication, and Training) Patient Engagement Program graduates and program sponsors. As part of the event, Prevent Blindness will also hold its 19th Annual Eyes on Capitol Hill legislative day, providing participants with the opportunity to meet elected officials and their staff to discuss public policy and federal funding requests, the announcement stated.

VSP Vision Partners With HUED to Provide Cultural Competency and Humility Training for Network Doctors

By Staff
Monday, May 13, 2024 12:24 AM RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—VSP Vision, an eye health company with a focus on delivering access to health-centric vision care, and HUED, a learning and development company that creates equitable and inclusive health care content, have announced a partnership to offer cultural competency and humility training at no cost for VSP network doctors. Optometrists who complete the training will receive a continuing education credit (CE), council on optometric practitioner education (COPE) accreditation, and placement on the HUED Directory of Increased Visibility as a culturally competent and humbled provider.

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Reports First Quarter 2024 Financial Results

By Staff
Monday, May 13, 2024 12:21 AM EMERYVILLE, Calif.—NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a developer of eyecare, skin care and wound care products, has reported its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Net product sales for the first quarter of 2024 were $2.6 million

KITS Eyecare Reports Record First Quarter 2024 Results

By Staff
Monday, May 13, 2024 12:18 AM VANCOUVER, British Columbia—KITS Eyecare Ltd., a leading vertically integrated eyecare provider, has reported its results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024. Revenue increased by 26 percent to $34.8 million.

Clearside Biomedical Announces First Quarter 2024 Financial Results

By Staff
Monday, May 13, 2024 12:15 AM ALPHARETTA, Ga.—Clearside Biomedical, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing treatments that restore and preserve vision for people with serious eye diseases, has reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Predicts a 3.1 Percent Growth in GDP for 2024

By Staff
Friday, May 10, 2024 4:01 PM The global economy saw steady growth in early 2024, according to a new report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The report projected a 3.1 percent growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, on par with 2023 figures. The OECD forecasts additional growth in 2025 of 3.2 percent as global economic pressures subside. 

According to a statement from the OECD, recent fluctuations in the housing and credit markets have put significant pressure on GDP growth, however, the organization, which works collaboratively to develop policy standards to promote sustainable economic growth among member countries, said the decline in inflation and improvements in private sector confidence will continue to have a positive effect on global economies. 

In February, the OECD member unemployment rate stood at 4.9 percent, close to its lowest level since 2001. OECD members include 38 countries from across the globe including the United States, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Israel.

Several factors will continue to challenge positive growth as the globe continues to emerge from the effects of the pandemic and recent global conflict and supply chain issues. The OECD reports that inflation will stay higher for longer if interest rates do not improve at a steady pace. Growth is also expected to be stagnant in China, where persistent weakness in property markets and smaller-than-anticipated fiscal supports continue to slow economic improvement. 

During times of slow growth, the OECD noted governments face rising fiscal challenges given high debt levels and sizable additional spending pressures from population aging, climate adaptation and mitigation. The organization suggests that future debt burdens are likely to rise significantly if no action is taken, adding there remains a need for stronger near-term efforts to contain spending growth, improve public spending efficiency, reallocate spending to areas that better support opportunities and growth, and optimize tax revenues.

LVPEI and CORE Sign Partnership Agreement for Vision Science and Therapeutic Development

By Staff
Friday, May 10, 2024 2:56 PM WATERLOO, Canada, and HYDERABAD, India—L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) and the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) at the University of Waterloo announced a strategic partnership to advance vision science research and therapeutic development, as well as to enhance eyecare delivery on a global scale.