After Angie's post on her new specs last week I got to wondering why eyeglasses are so expensive in the US. I was shocked to learn that one Italian manufacturer, Luxottica, manufactures most designer eyeglass brands (Burberry, Bvlgari, Chanel, Chaps, Coach, DKNY, Gucci, Miu Miu, Oakley, Paul Smith, Polo, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Ray Ban, Tiffany, Tory Burch, Versace, Vogue) and also owns the major retailers (Lenscrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, Sunglass Hut, Target Optical, and others) and even the second largest vision insurer, Eyemed. (But not Walmart or Costco!) The best summary I could find is a transcript from a CBS News 60 Minutes show from 2012.