German eyewear king Günther Fielmann dead at 84
Published: Friday, Jan 5th 2024, 09:31
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The German entrepreneur Günther Fielmann is dead. The founder of the optician chain of the same name died on Wednesday at the age of 84 at his home in Lütjensee in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein.
This was announced by the Fielmann Group on Friday. He fell asleep peacefully surrounded by his family.
"The thoughts of our more than 23,000 employees in Europe, Asia and the USA are with Günther Fielmann's loved ones at this time. We extend our sincere sympathy and deepest condolences to his family, friends and companions. We will all remember Günther Fielmann with his customer-oriented philosophy, his creative power and his visionary spirit as a pioneer in the optical industry", the statement continued.
Eyewear market changes
Fielmann has changed the eyewear business in Germany. There is now a branch of its optician chain in almost every pedestrian zone. At the end of March 2023, Fielmann AG had a total of 977 branches in Germany and abroad, more than 22,600 employees and 27 million customers. Annual sales in 2022 amounted to around 2 billion euros. Below the line, the Group generated a net profit of 110 million euros.
In Switzerland, Fielmann increased external segment sales by 11.9% to 208.2 million euros in 2022. This was primarily due to the strength of the Swiss franc against the euro. Without this, sales would only have risen by 4 per cent. Earnings before taxes improved significantly to 34.4 million euros after 29.5 million euros in the previous year. The appreciation of the Swiss franc alone contributed 2.4 million francs to this.
According to the Group's annual report, 463,000 pairs of glasses were sold in the 46 stores in Switzerland. The market share of sales thus amounted to 46 percent.
Large dispenser
Fielmann retired from the company in 2019 and handed it over to his son Marc. In addition to his entrepreneurial successes, Fielmann was also involved in organic farming. Fielmann also bought and renovated Plön Castle in Schleswig-Holstein, where opticians are trained for the entire industry.
Fielmann donated a great deal to education, science and culture, ecology and nature conservation. He gave his employees shares in the company and planted a tree for each of them every year.
Mark Binz, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Fielmann Group, paid tribute to the deceased as a "century-old entrepreneur and visionary. With strategic foresight, a clear focus on the wishes of customers and an exemplary commitment to the common good, he shaped the German economy far beyond the borders of the optical and hearing acoustics industry."
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