A sector in strong recovery and always an excellence of Made in Italy, that of eyewear, both as a finished product and as a supply chain, made up of large companies, but also of SMEs and distribution chains. The revolution brought about by the internet and e-commerce has given rise to new companies, particularly active in online sales. The case of Mia Burton stands out, the e-tailer born from an idea of the brothers Carlo Alberto and Gabriele Lipari in 2018 and who in less than three years has already reached 2.2 million in turnover (2021 figure) and expects to reach 5 million in 2022.
From the idea to the marketplace
“Miaburton.com aims to be an international marketplace, a reference point for fashion eyewear lovers and an accelerator of commercial synergies – explains Carlo Alberto Lipari (pictured below) on the company’s official website -. This is why we have designed an experience that goes far beyond buying a pair of glasses: we want people to feel welcomed, like in a boutique. That they can observe the frames and appreciate the details, until they have the feeling of touching them with your hand. We want to assist them in all phases of the purchasing process, in the most human and empathic way possible ». Already in 2019 Lipari promised to “give the possibility to choose from thousands of different proposals, selected by partners all over the world” and that “an advanced search system would help users to focus on what they want and to find it more easily” .
The birth of Mia Burton Distribution
From “promises” to facts: a few weeks ago the launch of Mia Burton Distribution, a new business unit dedicated to the distribution and promotion of selected eyewear brands. The company has just acquired the distribution on the Italian market of GLCO (better known as Garrett Leight) and Mr. Leight, two brands born from the legacy of LarryLeight, former founder of Oliver Peoples (now in the portfolio of the giant Luxottica), and brought to success by his son. The collections embody the Californian lifestyle (the same ingredient that contributed to the success of Oliver Peoples) and a new, relaxed idea of the jet set. Among the American celebs wearing GLCO and Mr. Leight frames there are Brad Pitt, Leonardo Di CaprioSelena Gomez and, outside of show business, Jeff Bezos.
Towards vertical integration
Mia Burton’s project is to go beyond the “simple” marketplace model: by internalizing the distribution, the offer is expanded, as demonstrated by the recent launch of two limited edition collections with Eyepetizer and Lesca, a French maison of handcrafted frames. The choice to start with GLCO and Mr. Leight is not accidental: Mia Burton Distribution’s goal is to enhance and protect the identity of a brand, collaborating directly with the parent company to develop customized distribution strategies and strengthen the brand positioning on the Italian market. «More than commercial, we like to work as brand curator – explains Giacomo Galassi, head of Mia Burton Distribution after the experience with GLCO and Mr. Leight in Slam Jam -. The winning brands are those capable of building a sense of belonging, of aggregating communities: in this process, the role of distribution is to convey concepts, values and languages along the entire supply chain, selecting and educating retailers in the area and making sure that the message arrives. without distortions up to the final customer ». Miaburton.com currently has one in its portfolio selection of 39 brands (excluding the latest arrivals from America) and with some of them (latest brand in chronological order is Lesca) he realizes special projects.
Resources to grow
In December 2021 Mia Burton announced a second round of financing (the first was in January last year), raising a total of 1.5 million, an operation to which Azimut Direct contributed. In 2021, the number of products and turnover recorded a more than positive growth over 2020, to put it mildly: + 195% and + 210%.