Safilo said that it plans to increase the share of house brands - Polaroid, Carrera, Smith Optics, Safilo and Oxydo - to 40-45 percent of the group's total revenues in five to seven years from about 20 percent currently - through organic growth and through possible new acquisitions. Although it was bought by Safilo nearly two decades ago, Smith has essentially remained a technical North America brand linked to winter sports. Safilo's ambition is to make the brand global and turn it into its flagship in the sport and outdoor segment. Sport products such as sunglasses and helmets enjoyed the highest growth within the Italian group during the second quarter ended June 30, as their sales were up by 18.5 percent to €12.7 million, with a currency-neutral increase of 24.2 percent. In the first half of this year, the company introduced a new organization for proprietary brands, concentrating all the functions for their development under one umbrella, with a focus on brand-building, starting with Polaroid (more in Eyewear Intelligence).

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