GrandVision B.V. is a leading worldwide optical retailer with various retail companies and formats in 38 countries , as of December 2009 , throughout Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The company’s headquarters are at Schiphol, the Netherlands.
Annual system wide revenues in 2009 reached approximately €2.5 billion. At the end of 2009 GrandVision B.V. operated 4,082 stores and employed some 18,500 people. In addition to its own stores, GrandVision B.V. operates master and individual franchises as well as joint ventures in several countries, allowing independent opticians to benefit from the success of GrandVision brands.
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GrandVision B.V. is the result of a merger between two great names in the optical world, Pearle Europe B.V. and GrandVision S.A. Dr. Stanley Pearle, an optometrist in Savannah, Georgia, USA, laid the foundations for the Pearle chain in 1961, when he opened his first optician’s store. It stood out thanks to its striking and innovative shop display. Unlike other optometrists of the time, Pearle didn’t hide his spectacles in a drawer under the counter, she put his entire product range on display for all to see. This form of display is common practice at opticians today. Pearle Europe B.V. started in November 1996 with the acquisition of Pearle Netherlands from US-based Pearle Vision Inc. By acquiring strong local retailers, the Pearle Europe Group has entered new markets almost every year since. This expansion has included many countries in Latin America and India. GrandVision was started in France in 1989 with the creation of a new brand called GrandOptical. This unique and innovative retail concept was based on outstanding customer service and a wide variety of products, all easily accessible to customers. In the early 1990s, GrandVision introduced new brands offering different optical concepts tailored to specific customer segments. This was followed by periods of strong international expansion through acquisitions.
In January 2011 Pearle Europe B.V. and GrandVision S.A. united to form GrandVision B.V.
GrandVision B.V. is owned by HAL Holding N.V. HAL Holding N.V. is an international investment company based in Curaçao with offices in Monaco and Rotterdam. All shares of HAL Holding N.V. are held by HAL Trust and form the trust’s entire assets. HAL Trust’s shares are quoted on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange.
HAL made its initial investment in Pearle Europe B.V. in 1996, and in GrandVision S.A. in 2005. Since then, HAL has been the majority shareholder of both companies with a stake of 98.8% in Pearle Europe B.V. and 99.8% in GrandVision S.A, as of end 2009. The HAL strategy is focused on acquiring significant shareholdings in companies, with the long-term objective of increasing shareholder value. Given the emphasis on the longer term, HAL does not have a pre-determined investment horizon. For further information about HAL, annual reports and press releases please visit www.halinvestments.nl and www.halholding.com.