Please select a page template in page properties.
Country Selection Shoppinglist

CHARMANT Europe - Looking back at 2022 and moving forward in 2023

Satoshi Otsuki, President and CEO of CHARMANT Europe, reviews the company's development in 2022 and talks about the objectives for 2023.

Looking back at 2022, how did the year develop for CHARMANT Europe? 

First, our prayers go out to those who are suffering at this moment in time. The world was, and is, dealing with difficult circumstances and we sincerely hope that the global atmosphere will improve for all.

For CHARMANT Europe, it was a year of transformation and recognition. The biggest event for us is the birth of our Pan-European logistics hub at the French/German border, in the city of Willstätt. The market is still dynamic, and we needed this solution to better answer to the requirements of our partners.  

From a product point of view, it was a first launch year of our new Made in Japan line Minamoto which won the IF Design Award in January and we already have enthusiastic supporters among our partners.

A very important part, that contributes significantly to the success of our company, are our employees. Whilst most of our team members have been working with us for many years, we also welcomed new talent to our European family. We are delighted that our house is continuously growing.

Which projects in particular does the company want to focus on in 2023? 

We want to integrate sustainability in all our actions and consider it from all aspects which is of course a long-term and continuous process. One of the first steps in 2023 is the launch of our brand GEO Eyewear which we presented at opti and will showcase at MIDO in February, too.

The new concept is part of our ecological sustainability program as we continuously try to transform our supply chain in a more responsible way. There is no end to our journey but we, as CHARMANT Europe, need to be even more committed to social sustainability as European citizens since the Brundtland report in 1987. Our logistics hub in Germany is now working with an association to support people in need and we are committed to further reinforce our engagement in social actions in 2023. 

What challenges does the eyewear industry face and how can we overcome them? 

We have to face the issue of ecological sustainability. Our industry’s ecosystem is made of many different players and in order to make sustainability real, we need a total coordination both upstream and downstream. We can produce nowadays a very much ecologically responsible product but we do not always know where it could be ending up after its usage. CHARMANT is answering to this challenging topic with our GEO Eyewear but we do need to address to this as a whole industry. 

What are the objectives for CHARMANT in 2023? 

We are revisiting our basic principle “to improve the life of everyone through our creation”. Eyewear is not only a medical and protective device but something to potentially change the lives of people. In my previous experience in the photographic development business, we were told “you are not in reality developing photos but actually the memories of people”. I believe this is exactly the same in our business. CHARMANT is responsible for helping people to see the world beautifully and to also make the wearers look great. So we will carry on doing with our mission and make people, including ourselves, happier.