AI glasses lift EssilorLuxottica sales growth

EssilorLuxottica said sales of AI-enabled eyeglasses helped accelerate its second-quarter growth, as the world's largest maker of eyeglasses reported higher revenue and profit.

Second-quarter sales rose 7.2 percent in the three months to June to 7.7 billion euros, or $8.8 billion. The company said AI glasses almost doubled in sales from a year earlier during the quarter, but did not give a sales figure for that category.

Chief executive Francesco Milleri said AI glasses expanded across regions and consumer segments and were generating sustainable profits.

Earlier this year, EssilorLuxottica expanded its AI-enabled range with a Ray-Ban line developed with Meta. Milleri said the company wanted to reach younger and more price-sensitive consumers interested in technology in eyewear.

The company also reported growth in other products. Sales of lenses that slow the progression of short-sightedness in children rose 24 percent. Milleri said a second generation of its Nuance Audio eyeglasses, which integrate hearing aids into frames, would reach markets in mid-September.

First-half sales rose 5.7 percent to 14.8 billion euros. Net profit rose 12.9 percent to 1.6 billion euros.