Case Study #3: Distribution Agreement

Shed some light

Raynonplus is a small, family-owned eyewear business located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Started by Pierre Dupuis in 1952 under the name of Visionplus, the company has been exclusively owned and operated by the Dupuis family for over 50 years. Currently, the business—a sole proprietorship—is owned and managed by Gerald Dupuis,
grandson of the original entrepreneur. The Dupuis’ changed the business name in 1957 to capitalize on a trend in polarized sunglasses that swept the neighbouring French speaking province of Quebec.

Traditionally, Raynonplus sold a wide range of generic and brand name eyewear including prescription lenses, contact lenses, frames and sunglasses; but no proprietary goods. After Gerard took over the business in 2004, he and his fashion designer wife Dominique introduced their own brand of sunglasses under the trademarked name of
Ray à Porter. Initially, the brand was marketed as an alternative to lower end or generic prescription sunglasses. The demand for these sunglasses, fueled by the bold and unconventional styles and materials used by Dominique in her original designs, soon elevated the Ray à Porter brand into designer label market status. Customers from Quebec made up a large part of the target audience, accounting for 35 percent of sales.

I wear my sunglasses… in France

One of Ray à Porter’s biggest customers is Quebec pop sensation Zoé, an international superstar in the French speaking world. In addition to wearing them in her everyday life, Zoé incorporated custom designed Ray à Porter sunglasses as part of the wardrobe for her European concert tour. The unsolicited celebrity endorsement sparked a frenzy of demand for the sunglasses in France.

Keep your vision in focus

Having been a relatively small family owned business selling goods exclusively in Canada for half of a century, Gerald Dupuis now had to decide his best market strategy for his new found…