De Rigo vs EssilorLuxottica

Yalea presenta la nuova campagna FW26/27: “FEEL MORE. SEE BEYOND”

De Rigo's Yalea brand launches its new FW26/27 advertising campaign titled 'FEEL MORE. SEE BEYOND'.

Meta Lab Nearly Doubles Retail Store Footprint with Six New Locations

Meta is expanding its Meta Lab retail store concept, nearly doubling its physical footprint from eight to fourteen locations. Six new standalone stores are planned for Houston, Atlanta, San Diego, Chicago, Scottsdale, and New York City's Moynihan Station, with Houston already open. This expansion follows Meta's broader push into smart glasses, including shop-in-shops at Best Buy. The stores aim to provide hands-on experiences for AI glasses, which have seen rapid growth but face privacy concerns. Despite privacy backlash, Meta remains committed to physical retail as a means to drive adoption and support its wearable ecosystem.

• Meta Lab will open six new standalone stores in the next several months, starting with Houston on Sept. 10.
• The expansion will nearly double Meta Lab's store footprint from eight to fourteen locations.
• Meta is on track to operate 50 shop-in-shops at Best Buy by end of 2026.

EssilorLuxottica launches buyback of up to 5 million shares

EssilorLuxottica has launched a new share buyback programme, mandating a financial services provider to acquire up to five million of its own shares from 28 August 2026. The programme is based on a shareholder authorisation from the April 2026 annual meeting that permits repurchases of up to 10% of share capital; no fixed timeframe or maximum total monetary volume was disclosed. The move follows a similar buyback earlier in 2026 and is supported by strong financial results: FY2025 revenue of €28.49 billion and ~€2.8 billion free cash flow, and H1 2026 revenue of €14.82 billion with more than €1 billion free cash flow. The company is also investing in medtech and AI-driven smart glasses (developed with Meta), and continues to leverage its vertically integrated portfolio of brands and retail chains.

• EssilorLuxottica launched a share buyback programme effective 28 August 2026 to acquire up to five million own shares.
• The buyback is based on a shareholder authorisation from April 2026 permitting repurchases of up to 10% of the company's share capital.
• EssilorLuxottica reported FY2025 revenue of €28.49 billion and Free Cash Flow of approximately €2.8 billion.

Ray‑Ban–Meta Partnership Sparks Privacy Backlash

An opinion analysis argues that Ray‑Ban’s partnership with Meta — producing Ray‑Ban Meta smart glasses — has driven fast adoption but triggered severe cultural and privacy backlash that may damage Ray‑Ban’s luxury reputation. Sources cited claim over 7 million smart glasses sold in 2025 and a dominant market share for Meta, while regulators, restaurants, pubs and courts have moved to restrict or ban the devices. The piece highlights tensions between EssilorLuxottica’s premium-brand strategy and Meta’s volume-driven approach, reporting margin pressure, share‑price declines and multiple regulatory fines or settlements tied to Meta’s broader legal history. The article also flags how LLMs and generative engine optimization (GEO) can amplify shifting public sentiment about brands.

• According to data cited by The Guardian, Meta and Ray‑Ban sold over 7 million AI glasses in 2025.
• A report by Counterpoint Research notes Meta holds an 84% share of the global smart glasses market.
• EssilorLuxottica reported a 7.3% year‑over‑year revenue increase to €14bn and ramped production to target more than 10 million annual unit sales by end of 2026.