Visilabgroup Sa
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersMeyrin, Switzerland
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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).
Visilabgroup Sa firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Visilabgroup Sa industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Visilabgroup Sa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Meyrin
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Visilabgroup Sa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Optical Retail Products: Sale of prescription glasses, frames, lenses, sunglasses, and contact lenses through retail stores across Switzerland under multiple brand banners.
- Eye Care Services: Professional eye examination services, contact lens fitting, and eye laser surgery consultation services provided in stores and clinics.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Eye care services and optical products |
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Visilabgroup Sa product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Visilabgroup Sa
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Visilabgroup Sa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Visilabgroup Sa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- EssilorLuxotticaflagshipVisilabGroup 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 GroupcoreVisilabGroup 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)coreVisilabGroup 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 SwitzerlandminorHumanitarian 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)minorOptical 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
Visilabgroup Sa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging 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
Visilabgroup Sa social profiles
Digital presenceVisilabgroup Sa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Visilabgroup Sa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Visilabgroup Sa subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Visilabgroup Sa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Visilabgroup Sa M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Visilabgroup Sa
What does Visilabgroup Sa do?
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).
Is Visilabgroup Sa a public or private company?
Visilabgroup Sa is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Visilabgroup Sa founded?
Visilabgroup Sa was founded in 1988. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Visilabgroup Sa based?
Visilabgroup Sa is headquartered in Meyrin, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Visilabgroup Sa make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Optical Retail Products are the primary driver. The others are eye Care Services.
Who are Visilabgroup Sa's main competitors?
Mister Spex is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Specsavers, LensCrafters, Fielmann, Pearle Vision and Apollo-Optik. Regional players are Boots Opticians, Synoptik, Optical Center and Kaiser Optik.
Does Visilabgroup Sa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Visilabgroup Sa.
What industry is Visilabgroup Sa in?
Visilabgroup Sa's product category is Optical Retail and Eye Care Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAKAKAL, Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses), with a secondary code of CRAAAKAA, Prescription Eyewear Frames (Optical). Its NAICS code is 456130 and its SIC code is 3851.