Austrian eyewear group MPG has acquired the Belgian optical retail chain GrandOptical and its Dutch counterpart EyeWish. The divestment of 177 stores in total is the result of the takeover deal between GrandVision and EssilorLuxottica.
Europe’s requirement
The deal involves 142 EyeWish stores in the Netherlands and all 35 GrandOptical branches in Belgium. In the hands of MPG, they will become part of the Optic Retail International Group BENE branch – already the holding company of optical specialists Hallmann and the Robert La Roche eyewear label.
The European Commission had previously approved the acquisition of GrandOptical by the Italian group EssilorLuxottica, but imposed conditions that included divesting the 177 outlets in the Benelux. The employees would also transfer to the new owner, according to the Dutch news site NU.
EyeWish has 260 branches in the Netherlands, but not all of those are part of the deal. The stores that remain within EssilorLuxottica will be renamed later, Dutch news platform Twinkle writes. However, their new name is yet to be revealed.
