Having recently secured listings with Gebr. Heinemann and Avolta, GLAS is making its mark in travel retail by rethinking the role that functional eyewear can play in the channel with its distinctive brand of fashionable, comfortable and environmentally responsible readers designed in Stockholm.

Maria Lundtang was appointed CEO of GLAS in August and is already off to “an incredible start” in the role – one that she describes as “fast-paced, energising and deeply rewarding”.

“The warm welcome from the travel retail community has been overwhelming,” Lundtang told TRBusiness for the first episode of its new ‘Talking Shop’ conversational video format, shot during the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes with production partner The Bluedog Group (not even a smattering of rain could dampen the mood – Ed).

“Stepping into this role, I feel both the responsibility and the excitement of building on GLAS Founder Christoffer Sundberg’s strong foundation,” she continued.

“We’re already scaling up, expanding our footprint across airports and ferries, while at the same time strengthening our domestic presence in department stores and chainstores and accelerating our own e-commerce channel. I can confidently say: the momentum is real.”

The business chief has a clear vision: to make GLAS the go-to, ready-to-wear readers brand for travellers worldwide.

“That means deepening partnerships with leading operators, sharpening our focus on sell-through with a tight, high-performing assortment, bringing our Swedish brand and sustainability story into every touchpoint,” explained Lundtang.

“We want travellers not just to buy glasses, but to experience GLAS Eyewear as a lifestyle brand built for them.”

For travel retail the focus is firmly on the sunreaders which, as Lundtang describes, hits a “sweet spot” for being stylish, functional and instantly useful.

Now, the company is targeting expansion across more airports, ferries and inflight – all while striving to deepen its collaborations with existing partners.

The GLAS women’s collection includes clear lenses, tinted lenses and sun lenses – all crafted in polished acetate or lightweight metal.

The acetate is cellulose-based, made from renewable sources like wood pulp and recycled cotton. The design is often oversized and bold, yet classic and timeless at the same time.

Lundtang describes the quality as “durable”, yet with a price point between €80 and €100, they remain accessible.

Furthermore, all the glasses are designed to be travel-friendly with slim packaging, modular displays and – importantly – are easy to try on for those on the move.

“Travellers shop quickly, intuitively and with curiosity,” said Lundtang. “They want products that are easy to understand and try on – and they love discovering something that makes their trip easier. We’ve built our retail concept around those insights: modular displays, intuitive staff training and clear storytelling.

“We keep the assortment tight so the decision is simple, and we support partners with tools that drive strong sell-through.”

The company also launched a men’s collection a couple of months ago on its own e-commerce, Glaseyewear.com, where it also offers prescription glasses and blue light glasses.

In terms of where Lundtang thinks the eyewear category could be headed in the future, she said: “I’d love to see eyewear take its place alongside beauty and accessories as a dynamic, must-have category in travel retail.

“It should be accessible, sustainable and fun – something travellers can interact with, try on and enjoy.”

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