EssilorLuxottica Posts Third Straight Quarter of Double-Digit Growth as AI Glasses and Myopia Drive Momentum

The global eyewear and vision care giant has delivered another standout quarter, with revenue climbing 10.8% and two strategic moves signalling its push deeper into manufacturing technology and Southeast Asian retail.

EssilorLuxottica has opened 2026 in emphatic fashion, reporting first-quarter revenue of €7.13 billion, up 10.8% at constant exchange rates compared to the same period last year, marking its third consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. The result will come as welcome news to eyecare professionals globally, as the company's performance reflects robust demand across both the lens and frame categories that underpin independent optical practice.

The growth was evenly shared across the group's two main divisions. Professional Solutions, the segment most relevant to independent optometrists and optical dispensers, posted revenue of €3.36 billion, up 10.8% at constant exchange rates, while Direct to Consumer matched that performance with a 10.7% rise to €3.76 billion.

AI Glasses: A Rising Tide for the Whole Industry

Perhaps the most striking theme of the quarter was the outsized contribution of AI-enabled eyewear, particularly the Ray-Ban Meta range. The newly launched optical-first styles, bringing AI functionality to prescription frames for the first time, were described by the company as being "off to a strong start," driving sales gains across North America, EMEA, Latin America, and even Asia-Pacific markets including India.

For optical dispensers, this represents a meaningful shift. AI glasses are no longer a niche tech-enthusiast product; they are increasingly landing on the faces of everyday prescription wearers, flowing through the professional channel. In North America's Professional Solutions segment, Ray-Ban grew "exponentially" in the AI glasses category, while also advancing strongly in traditional sun and prescription frames. In EMEA, distribution of AI glasses is still rolling out progressively, with the company noting more than half of doors in the region yet to be served suggesting further growth headroom ahead for practice partners.

Myopia Management Continues Its Ascent

The myopia management portfolio remained one of the group's most consistent bright spots, expanding 26% globally for the quarter. China, a bellwether market for the category, grew 18%, with contributions from Nikon and Kodak DOT lenses singled out. In North America, the Stellest lens is in active rollout, currently available through around 6,000 doors in the US, with the company flagging this as laying "the groundwork for a strong ramp-up" across the remainder of the year.

For Australian practitioners, who operate in one of the world's most myopia-aware clinical markets, the continued investment in this category is significant. The OPSM network locally reported flat comparable-store sales for the quarter, supported by the lens premiumisation strategy, a reminder that premium clinical products remain a key lever in the retail optical environment here.

Regional Snapshot: Asia-Pacific Up Nearly 10%

Asia-Pacific posted revenue of €874 million, up 9.8% at constant exchange rates. Beyond China's strong Professional Solutions result, Mainland China's retail stores recorded double-digit comparable-store sales growth. Australia and New Zealand, South Korea and Japan all made positive contributions to the region's overall performance.

The region also saw the continued rollout of Espansione Group's dry eye disease treatment instruments through the OPSM network in Australia, a signal of EssilorLuxottica's growing ambition in the ocular therapeutics space, which will be of particular interest to optometrists expanding their scope of practice into dry eye management.

Faro Acquisition: A Bet on Manufacturing Precision

Separate to the quarterly results, EssilorLuxottica announced on 23 April the acquisition of Faro, an Italian CNC machinery specialist headquartered in Santa Maria di Sala, Venice, squarely within Italy's historic eyewear manufacturing heartland.

Founded more than 20 years ago, Faro designs and manufactures high-precision CNC machinery for milling and diamond cutting, serving both the jewellery and eyewear industries. The company offers fully integrated hardware and software solutions for frame and lens manufacturing.

The strategic rationale is straightforward: the acquisition deepens EssilorLuxottica's vertical integration, bringing critical upstream manufacturing capability in-house. The group has emphasised that Faro will continue to serve the broader eyewear industry, not just EssilorLuxottica's own operations, preserving its role as an independent supplier to the wider manufacturing ecosystem.

Chairman and CEO Francesco Milleri described Faro as embodying "the excellence of precision engineering and the core values of Made in Italy," adding that the deal would accelerate development of innovative frame and lens production machinery across the entire industry.

Retail Footprint Heads Toward 20,000 Locations

On the retail front, EssilorLuxottica's recently announced investment in Thai optical chain Top Charoen, adding approximately 2,000 stores to its network, brings the group's total locations to nearly 20,000 worldwide. As of 31 March 2026, the group operated 17,681 stores, with 13,629 corporate-owned and 4,052 through franchising and licensing arrangements.

The Top Charoen move is emblematic of the group's strategy to plant its retail and clinical ecosystem in high-growth, underpenetrated emerging markets — a playbook that has clear parallels with its earlier acquisitions in Australasia, Southeast Asia and South America.

Looking Ahead

EssilorLuxottica's long-term guidance, anchored in its stated ambition to become a global leader in advanced and integrated eye health, points to solid revenue growth and broadly aligned adjusted operating profit growth over the next five years. The company's Annual Shareholders' Meeting is scheduled for 28 April, with H1 2026 results due 28 July.

For eyecare professionals navigating an increasingly complex product landscape, from AI-enabled frames to medically-oriented myopia therapies and dry eye treatments, the direction of travel at EssilorLuxottica offers a useful window into where the industry is heading.