Visilabgroup Sa

What Visilabgroup Sa does

VisilabGroup SA is a Swiss optical retail and eye care services company operating 174 stores across all Swiss language regions under four brand banners: Visilab, Kochoptik, McOptic, and Linsenmax. Founded in 1988 with the opening of its first Visilab store, the company employs more than 1,400 people and provides a comprehensive suite of eye care services, including high-tech eye examinations (using photomicroscopes and corneal topographers for corneal mapping), prescription glasses, contact lenses, sunglasses, and laser eye surgery consultation and follow-up through an in-house laser eye clinic. Beyond consumer retail, the company operates Visilab@Home, a free at-home eye care service for mobility-limited customers, and Visilab@work, an occupational eyewear service for corporate clients.

The group's business model is predominantly retail-storefront, with revenue generated from optical product sales and professional eye care services priced on a per-need, pay-as-you-go basis (specific pricing is not publicly disclosed). Distribution is entirely domestic, with administrative headquarters in Meyrin (Geneva) and Trimbach (Solothurn), and no international retail footprint. The customer base is intentionally horizontal, segmented across general consumers, elderly and mobility-limited individuals, corporate occupational health buyers, and young trainees entering the optical profession through the company's structured apprenticeship program.

VisilabGroup is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EssilorLuxottica, the global ophthalmic lens, frame, and sunglass manufacturer, following EssilorLuxottica's 2021 acquisition of GrandVision (VisilabGroup's prior parent). The group also maintains a corporate social responsibility platform, most notably the Second Life program, which has donated over 2,400 recycled spectacle frames to humanitarian projects in Guinea via CBM Switzerland, and is a member of the Swiss Federation of Opticians (AOVS/FSO).

Name

Visilabgroup Sa

Legal name

VisilabGroup SA

Website

https://visilabgroup.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

VisilabGroup SA operates 174 optical retail stores across Switzerland under four brands (Visilab, Kochoptik, McOptic, Linsenmax), serving consumers, mobility-limited individuals, and corporate clients with eye exams, eyewear, contact lenses, and laser surgery services. A wholly-owned subsidiary of EssilorLuxottica.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical Retail and Eye Care Services

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (456130), Offices of Optometrists (62132)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Prescription Eyewear Frames (Optical) (CRAAAKAA), Sunglasses (Non-Prescription) (CRAAAKAB)

Keywords

• Optical retail services
• Eye care services
• Prescription eyewear
• Contact lens fitting
• Laser eye surgery

Headquarters

HQ city

Meyrin

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Optical Retail Products: Sale of prescription glasses, frames, lenses, sunglasses, and contact lenses through retail stores across Switzerland under multiple brand banners.
2. Eye Care Services: Professional eye examination services, contact lens fitting, and eye laser surgery consultation services provided in stores and clinics.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

VisilabGroup operates 174 optical retail stores across Switzerland under four brand banners (Kochoptik, Visilab, McOptic, Linsenmax), delivering professional eye examinations, prescription glasses, contact lenses, sunglasses, and laser eye surgery consultation services. With more than 1,400 employees, the company serves the Swiss consumer market directly, supplemented by at-home service (Visilab@Home) and occupational eye protection (Visilab@work).

Product overview

VisilabGroup is a Swiss eye care retail group operating multiple sub-brands (Visilab, Kochoptik, McOptic, Linsenmax) with over 174 stores across Switzerland. The company provides comprehensive optical services including high-tech eye examinations, prescription glasses, contact lenses, sunglasses, and laser eye surgery consultations. Additional services include Visilab@Home (free at-home eye care for mobility-impaired individuals) and Visilab@work (occupational eyewear). The group also operates the Second Life Program for donating recycled eyewear to humanitarian causes. VisilabGroup is part of the EssilorLuxottica global optical group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kochoptik: Optical retail brand offering eyewear and eye care services
• McOptic
• Linsenmax
• Visilab
• Visilab@Home
• Visilab@work
• Second Life Program
• Visilab Laser Clinic

Products and services

• Eye Tests
• Glasses and Frames
• Contact Lenses
• Sunglasses
• Eye Laser Surgery
• Visilab@Home
• Visilab@work

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,400 employees and 174 stores throughout Switzerland
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• EssilorLuxotticaflagshipOthersVisilabGroup is part of EssilorLuxottica, a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, frames and sunglasses. EssilorLuxottica has approximately 190,000 employees and more than 18,000 shops worldwide. As the only end-to-end provider in the industry, EssilorLuxottica has a leading presence in all regions, business segments, and distribution channels.
• GrandVision GroupcoreOthersVisilabGroup is part of the GrandVision Group, which sets standards in the field of optics by offering high quality products and first-class service. GrandVision Group provides the strategic framework and corporate values for VisilabGroup's operations.
• AOVS/FSO (Swiss Federation of Opticians)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisilabGroup is a member of the Swiss Federation of Opticians (AOVS/FSO). Membership enables mobility between different banners and departments with national expertise and provides access to industry standards and professional development.
• CBM SwitzerlandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHumanitarian partnership for the Second Life program. VisilabGroup has donated spectacles to CBM Switzerland seven times, including 2,405 brand-new spectacle frames, 3,312 cleaning cloths, and 544 cleaning sprays to the CADESSO training clinic in Guinea.
• CADESSO Training Clinic (Guinea)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOptical workshop recipient of donated spectacles as part of the Second Life humanitarian program, providing training and eye care services in Guinea.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Mister Spex: European online optical retailer combining e-commerce with brick-and-mortar stores. Comparable as a multi-channel optical competitor with overlapping product offerings, particularly relevant to VisilabGroup's lack of disclosed digital strategy.

Direct peers

• Specsavers: Global optical retail chain with thousands of stores operating a similar optometrist-in-store model. Comparable in offering eye tests, prescription glasses, contact lenses, and value-positioned eyewear across multiple geographies.
• LensCrafters: One of the largest optical retail chains in North America, also owned by EssilorLuxottica. Closely comparable as a sister brand within the same parent, offering similar products (eye exams, glasses, contact lenses) through owned retail stores.
• Fielmann: Europe's largest optical retail chain with ~1,000+ stores across multiple countries. Directly comparable as a multi-store optical retailer offering eye exams, prescription eyewear, contact lenses, and sunglasses with strong vertical integration.
• Pearle Vision: Major US optical retail chain owned by EssilorLuxottica. Comparable as a multi-banner optical retail brand within the same parent group, offering comprehensive eye care services and eyewear products.
• Apollo-Optik: Largest optical retail chain in Germany with ~800 stores. Comparable as a European optical retailer offering eye exams, prescription eyewear, contact lenses, and sunglasses through a multi-store retail model.

Regional players

• Boots Opticians: UK-based optical retail chain operating within Boots pharmacy stores. Comparable as a multi-location optical retailer offering eye exams, prescription eyewear, and contact lenses, though primarily serving UK rather than Swiss market.
• Synoptik: Leading optical retail chain in the Nordic countries. Comparable in offering eye examinations, prescription glasses, contact lenses, and sunglasses across multiple store locations, though operating in different geographies than VisilabGroup.
• Optical Center: Major European optical retail chain with strong presence in France and other continental European markets. Comparable in offering eye exams, prescription glasses, contact lenses, and sunglasses through owned retail stores.
• Kaiser Optik: German optical retail chain. Comparable as a regional European optical retailer offering eye care services and eyewear products, providing competitive context for VisilabGroup's positioning in the DACH region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/visilabgroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/visilabgroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/visilabgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Visilabgroup Sa