The Fielmann Group, the most customer-centric provider of eyewear and hearing aids, announced today that it is investing more than € 65 million in a new high-tech facility consisting of an eyewear production as well as a highly automated fulfilment centre in Chomutov, Czech Republic. The construction is ongoing, operations are scheduled to start in 2024. In the medium-term, the Fielmann Group is creating 500 new jobs in Chomutov.

Marc Fielmann, CEO of Fielmann Group: "Following our Vision 2025, our new facility in Chomutov is an important addition to the unique made-to-order manufacturing and fulfilment network that drives our omnichannel platform. This investment not only provides the basis for the Fielmann Group's rapid expansion across Europe but is also part of a large-scale program that is re-defining the product availability, delivery times and prices our 27 million customers can expect. By growing our manufacturing footprint in Europe, we also reduce costs as well as CO2 emissions, bolster our strategic independence and improve our profitability."

In the medium-term, the Fielmann Group invests more than € 100 million in its manufacturing and logistics capabilities to sustain its strong growth across Europe. In Chomutov, Czech Republic, the German family business invests € 65m in a state-of-the-art manufacturing and logistics facility stretching across 37.000 square meters. The made-to-order manufacturing has an initial capacity of 2.5 million pairs of glasses per year and can be extended to nearly 5 million pairs of glasses in the long-term. The fully automated shuttle fulfilment centre is planned to handle a capacity of up to 8 million items.

Georg Rau, VP Manufacturing & Logistics of Fielmann Group: "Chomutov is part of a long-term investment program that upgrades and extends the manufacturing and logistics capabilities of the Fielmann Group. We are going to significantly improve our lead times, the dependability of our product delivery and the cost structure for our sales channels. Next to Chomutov, we are currently setting up new fulfilment centres across Europe to sustain the double-digit growth of our e-commerce business. Furthermore, we are evaluating new manufacturing locations in Western and Southern Europe where the number of our customers is growing rapidly. And we are dedicating an additional € 35 million investment to our largest manufacturing and fulfilment site in Rathenow to better serve our customers."

Chomutov is located in the north-western Ústecký kraj region of the Czech Republic and has about 50,000 inhabitants. The manufacturing and logistics facility of the Fielmann Group is located in the immediate vicinity of the D7 highway, which connects Chomutov with Prague in the south and with Chemnitz, Leipzig and Dresden in the north.

"We are very pleased that one of the leading optical companies in the world has chosen to make our city a significant centre of the optics industry", says Marek Hrabáč, mayor of Chomutov. "Fielmann is one of the most renowned brands in Europe and has been an institution in the optical industry for 50 years. We are proud to add yet another industry leader to the list of companies that have chosen Chomutov for its attractiveness in terms of the highly skilled local workforce, the reliable infrastructure and collaborative governance you can find here. We are absolutely convinced that Fielmann and Chomutov are a wonderful match for the future."

About the Fielmann Group:
The Fielmann Group is a stock-listed family business based in Hamburg, Germany. As the most customercentric provider of eyewear, contact lenses and hearing aids, we serve our 27 million active customers through an omnichannel platform comprised of digital sales channels as well as more than 900 retail stores across 16 countries.

Further information:
Details on the economic development of the Fielmann Group will be provided on Thursday, 25th of August 2022 in our half-year report.

Hamburg, 23rd of August 2022

Fielmann Aktiengesellschaft
The Management Board

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Fielmann AG published this content on 23 August 2022 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 23 August 2022 08:45:05 UTC.