ROTTLER Brillen + Horgerate

What ROTTLER Brillen + Horgerate does

ROTTLER Brillen + Hörgeräte is a family-owned German optical and audiology retail chain operating under the legal entity Brillen Rottler GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Arnsberg (Neheim), Germany. Founded in 1946 by Paul Rottler senior and now in its third generation of family ownership, the company runs over 135 retail locations across four German states: North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and Hesse, comprising more than 125 optical stores and over 85 hearing aid specialist stores. ROTTLER employs between 501 and 1,000 people and is managed by three Geschäftsführer: Paul Rottler, Armin Herdegen, and Mark Baukmann.

The company's product portfolio spans prescription eyewear (single vision, progressive, reading, sports, occupational, driving, gaming, and children's glasses), sunglasses with phototropic, polarized, and tinted lens options, a full contact lens range (daily, weekly, monthly, toric, multifocal, and specialty), and hearing aids (receiver-in-canal, behind-the-ear, in-ear, rechargeable, and Bluetooth-enabled) from leading manufacturers including Signia, Phonak, Oticon, and SCALA, with lenses supplied by Carl Zeiss AG and HOYA. The technical backbone is the 3D-Sehtest (3D vision test) for precise prescription measurement, complemented by free professional hearing tests, an in-house ROTTLER Academy for staff training, and remote hearing aid fitting (Hörgeräte-Fernanpassung).

The business model is omnichannel and primarily B2C: revenue is generated through one-time eyewear and hearing aid sales (with frame-inclusive lens pricing from approximately €29.90 for sunglasses to €209 for premium Marc O'Polo frames), recurring LuckyLens contact lens subscriptions, Brillenabo 0% installment financing over 6 to 36 months, and accessories such as batteries, charging stations, and TV connectors. Customer acquisition is supported by free 3D vision and hearing tests, a best-price guarantee, a 50-day hearing aid trial, and a Brillenbonusversicherung insurance plan. Distribution combines owned physical retail, an e-commerce storefront at shop.rottler.de, and a franchise model for further expansion, with marketing executed across the company website, Ratgeber (guide) content, email newsletter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and paid search and social campaigns.

Name

ROTTLER Brillen + Horgerate

Legal name

Brillen Rottler GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://rottler.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

ROTTLER Brillen + Hörgeräte is a family-owned German optical and audiology retailer founded in 1946, operating over 135 stores across four German states and selling prescription eyewear, contact lenses, hearing aids, and related professional services to individual consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical and Hearing Aid Retail

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Eyewear Retail & DTC Brands (Frames & Sunglasses) (CRAAAKAK)

Keywords

• Optical retail services
• Hearing aid retail
• Prescription eyewear sales
• Contact lens fitting
• Audiology testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Arnsberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Eyewear Sales: Revenue from sale of prescription glasses, sunglasses, and frames including products from brands like Ray-Ban, Gucci, Marc O'Polo, Tommy Hilfiger, Emporio Armani, and house brand meineBrille. Also includes lens upgrades and coatings.
2. Contact Lens Sales and Subscription: Sale of contact lenses (daily, weekly, monthly) and the LuckyLens subscription service providing a flat-rate contact lens program.
3. Hearing Aid Sales and Services: Sale of hearing aids from brands including Signia, Phonak, Oticon, and SCALA. Hearing aids available at various price points including subsidized options through health insurance. Also includes accessories, batteries, and charging stations.
4. Professional Services: Eye and hearing tests, contact lens fitting, glasses adjustments, repairs, and hearing aid fitting services. Some services offered free as customer acquisition (3D-Sehtest, Hörtest).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ROTTLER Brillen + Hörgeräte operates over 135 physical retail stores in Germany that sell prescription and non-prescription eyewear, sunglasses, contact lenses, and hearing aids, supported by in-store professional services such as 3D vision tests and hearing assessments. The business is complemented by an e-commerce online shop (shop.rottler.de) and is anchored by decades-long authorized partnerships with leading lens, frame, and hearing-aid manufacturers including ZEISS, Hoya, Ray-Ban, Gucci, Signia, Phonak, and Oticon.

Product overview

ROTTLER Brillen + Hörgeräte is a family-owned German optical and audiology retailer operating over 135 retail locations across NRW, Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein, and Hessen since 1946. The company offers a comprehensive eyewear and hearing solutions portfolio under one roof. Eyewear products include single-vision glasses (Einstärkenbrille), progressive multifocal glasses (Gleitsichtbrille), reading glasses (Lesebrille), sports glasses (Sportbrille), occupational computer glasses (Arbeitsplatzbrille), driving glasses (Autofahrerbrille), gaming glasses with blue light filtering, children's glasses, sustainable bio-acetate frames, and luxury exclusive brands. Sunglasses are available in prescription and non-prescription variants with polarized, phototropic, and tinted lens options. Contact lenses span daily (Tageslinsen), weekly, monthly disposables, specialty lenses for astigmatism and multifocal needs, plus the LuckyLens subscription service. Hearing solutions include behind-the-ear, receiver-in-canal, and in-the-ear hearing aids with Bluetooth connectivity and rechargeable battery options, including pediatric audiology services. The company operates an online shop (shop.rottler.de) alongside physical stores, offering services including free 3D eye exams, free hearing tests, online hearing assessment, remote hearing aid fitting, 50-day trial periods, hearing studio demonstrations, glasses adjustments, insurance plans, and 0% financing options. Partnerships with ZEISS and Hoya for lenses, Signia/Phonak/Oticon/SCALA for hearing aids, and premium frame brands like Ray-Ban and Gucci round out the offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Prescription Eyewear (Brillen) Prescription glasses in multiple variants including single-vision (Einstärkenbrille), progressive multifocal (Gleitsichtbrille), reading (Lesebrille), sports (Sportbrille), occupational/computer (Arbeitsplatzbrille), driving (Autofahrerbrille), gaming blue-light filtering, children's, sustainable bio-acetate, and luxury exclusive frames. Sold to individual consumers with lenses included from brands such as ZEISS, Hoya, Ray-Ban, Marc O'Polo, Gucci, Emporio Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, and house brands meineBrille and FRAIMS.
• Sunglasses (Sonnenbrillen) Prescription and non-prescription sunglasses including single-vision, progressive, reading, sport, men's, women's, children's, sustainable, and exclusive luxury variants. Lens options include phototropic, polarized, and tinted coatings. Complete-price sunglasses from €29.90.
• Contact Lenses (Kontaktlinsen) Daily, weekly, and monthly disposable contact lenses plus specialty lenses for astigmatism (toric), multifocal needs, and DreamLens specialty lenses, available from brands such as ACUVUE, Air Optix, Dailies, meineLinse, Alcon Total, and PRECISION. Care solutions include all-in-one cleaners, peroxide solutions, eye drops, and saline solutions.
• LuckyLens Contact Lens Subscription Flat-rate monthly contact lens subscription service delivering regular contact lens supplies to subscribers with cost savings.
• Hearing Aids (Hörgeräte) Behind-the-ear, receiver-in-canal, in-the-ear, rechargeable, and Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids from brands including Signia, Phonak, Oticon, and SCALA, plus pediatric hearing aids. Available to private-pay customers and zero-tariff options through statutory health insurance subsidies.
• Nulltarif Hearing Aids (Zero-Cost Health-Insured Program) Program providing eligible members of statutory German health insurance two hearing aids at €0 with valid ENT prescription and €10 co-payment per aid, or zero co-payment with an exemption certificate.
• 3D Vision Test (3D-Sehtest) Free professional 3D vision testing service providing precise prescription measurement, performed by qualified opticians at all ROTTLLER retail locations.
• Free Hearing Test (Hörtest) Free professional hearing assessment conducted by certified audiologists at ROTTLER's hearing aid stores, including online hearing test variants and remote hearing aid fitting services.
• Remote Hearing Aid Fitting (Fernanpassung) Service enabling hearing aid adjustment without in-store visits after the initial consultation, allowing customers to receive fine-tuning remotely.
• 50-Day Hearing Aid Trial (50 Tage-Probetragen) Service allowing customers to test purchased hearing aids in real-world environments for 50 days before committing fully.
• Glasses Check (Brillencheck) Free inspection and adjustment service ensuring proper fit and function of customer eyewear across all ROTTLER locations.
• Glasses Installment Plan (Brillenabo) Financing product that allows customers to purchase glasses through 0%-interest installment payments over 6, 12, 24, or 36 months.
• Glasses Bonus Insurance (Brillenbonusversicherung) Insurance plan covering purchased eyewear against theft, damage, and prescription changes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50-day free trial for hearing aids
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration26 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Carl Zeiss AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized Zeiss partner dealer for prescription lenses. ROTTLER offers Zeiss lenses and eyeglass products as part of their eyewear offerings. The partnership provides access to premium lens technology and brand credibility.
• HOYAcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with HOYA for premium eyeglass lenses. ROTTLER provides HOYA lens products as part of their comprehensive eyewear offerings.
• SigniacoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized dealer for Signia hearing aids including Insio 1 IX and Silk 1 X models. Signia provides advanced hearing aid technology for ROTTLER's audiology services.
• PhonakcoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized Phonak hearing aid dealer. Phonak hearing solutions are offered through ROTTLER's hearing aid retail locations.
• OticoncoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized Oticon hearing aid dealer. Oticon hearing products are available at ROTTLER hearing aid locations.
• SCALAcoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized SCALA hearing aid dealer offering Scala S 1 R models. SCALA provides entry-level hearing solutions through ROTTLER.
• ACUVUEcoreTechnology or IntegrationContact lens brand offered through ROTTLER stores and online shop. ACUVUE provides daily and reusable contact lens options.
• Alcon (Total)coreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized dealer for Alcon Total contact lens solutions including cleaning and care products.
• Ray-BancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium eyewear brand carried in ROTTLER stores. Special promotional offers include two lenses included with Ray-Ban frame purchases.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fielmann: Germany's largest optical retail chain with a national store network and in-house production. Directly comparable to ROTTLER as a multi-store optician retailer carrying prescription eyewear, sunglasses, contact lenses, and ancillary services, though at materially larger scale.
• Apollo Optik: Major German optical retail chain with national coverage offering prescription eyewear, sunglasses, contact lenses, and hearing aid services. A direct competitor with a similar omnichannel optician-plus-hearing-aid model.
• Mister Spex: Berlin-based online optical retailer that also operates brick-and-mortar partner stores. Competes directly with ROTTLLER in prescription eyewear and contact lenses, primarily via e-commerce, pressuring in-store optical retail economics.
• eyes + more: German eyewear retail chain selling prescription glasses and sunglasses in a vertically integrated, value-priced model. Comparable as a multi-store German optical retailer competing for the same walk-in customer.
• KIND Hörgeräte: One of Germany's largest hearing aid specialist chains with hundreds of stores nationwide. Directly comparable to ROTTLER's audiology business and a likely competitor for the same customer base in the hearing aid category.
• Geers Hörakustik: Major German hearing aid specialist chain owned by Sonova, with broad national store coverage. Directly comparable to ROTTLER's audiology retail footprint and product offering (Signia/Phonak/Oticon-style brands).
• Brillen.de: German online eyewear retailer selling prescription glasses and sunglasses directly to consumers. Comparable as a price-disruptive optical channel competing with ROTTLER's mid-market and premium frame business.
• Edel-Optics: German online optical retailer offering designer and own-brand eyewear. ROTTLER is an authorized Edel-Optics service partner; both compete in the same eyewear segment via different distribution models.

Broad incumbents

• Amplifon: Global hearing care retail leader with extensive operations in Germany. Comparable to ROTTLER's hearing aid business as a broad incumbent in audiology retail, though Amplifon does not operate ROTTLER's optical retail vertical.

Emerging players

• SmartBuyGlasses: International online optical retailer with a German storefront. Comparable as an emerging DTC optical player pressuring traditional retailers like ROTTLER, particularly on designer frame pricing and convenience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/brillenrottler
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brillenrottler
• Instagraminstagram.com/rottler.karriere
• TikToktiktok.com/@brillen.rottler

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ROTTLER Brillen + Horgerate