Amplifon in the US: A Story of Customer-Centric International Growth

Amplifon is a multinational corporation, headquartered in Milan, that operates in the retail hearing aids sector. The company has an extensive network of shops, and it specializes in customizing and fitting hearing aids and in distributing an extensive range of accessories to solve problems related to the loss of hearing. Since 2001, Amplifon has been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange. It joined the STAR segment in 2008, the FTSE-MIB Index in 2018, the Stoxx Europe 600 in 2019, and the MSCI Global Standard index in 2020. Amplifon is expected to have close to €2 billion in sales in 2021. It operates in 27 countries, and it has around 18,000 employees in a network of 11,500 points of sale. Amplifon competes in the hearing aid retail market, an industry that is highly fragmented at the global level. Amplifon is the global leader, with almost twice the market share of its largest competitor, but its worldwide share is just over 11%. The major players in the industry compete fiercely to lead the consolidation of the space. The sector is undergoing rapid development, thanks in part to the modernization impulse given by Amplifon in recent years. Hearing devices are highly technological products with continuous innovation, and distribution models are now experimenting with digitalization opportunities. Moreover, renewed interest in consumer hearing devices like Apple AirPods is bringing new products and technologies to market. The challenges facing competitors are diverse and complex. The market that best exemplifies the size and the depth of the challenges in the US market where Amplifon has been present since the early 1990s. Giulio Pizzini (Chief Strategy & Business Development Officer at Amplifon) explained the company’s challenges in the US market: “In the US we are the leader in the premium market, but we want to further increase our market share and consolidate our competitive position. Leadership in the US is fundamental not only because it is the largest retail market, covering around 40% of the world market, but also because this is the most innovative market where new technologies and innovation in retail tend to emerge first.”