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CHARENTON-LE-PONT, France—EssilorLuxottica (Reuters: ESLX.PA) announced today that it will significantly expand its retail footprint through an agreement with Hal Optical Investments B.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of HAL Holding N.V. to acquire HAL’s controlling interest in GrandVision, a global optical retail powerhouse with over 7,200 stores worldwide, over 37,000 employees and €3.7 billion in annual revenue. Financial analysts valued the deal at €7.1billion, and see it as a sign that tensions between Essilor and Luxottica are easing following months of bickering between the French and Italian partners over the company’s governance. Read More