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Consumers are expecting the best deals among popular companies.

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Black Friday 2017 is just weeks away and following the Kohl's ad reveal last week , 's deals have now leaked on BestBlackFriday.com . The Black Friday ad gives away big savings on Apple's iPhone 8, Google's Home Mini, Microsoft's Xbox One, Samsung's Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8, GoPro cameras and more.

The signs are good and I have identified seven of Target's best Black Friday tech deals which you can purchase beginning November 23th:

Most stores are offering Xbox One S 500GB consoles for $189.99 on Black Friday this year, but Target is also including a $25 gift card, which makes the net price $164.99. While this is one of the better Xbox One deals this year, Kohl's has the same price but is including $45 in Kohl's Cash .

Last year, the cheapest price for a 55-inch HDTV was $250, and it was not even a 4K model. This year, Kohl's is offering a 55-inch 4K TV with $90 in Kohl's Cash for $299.99. While that is a great deal, Target is requiring less money initially for what is arguably a better TV. Unfortunately, this is an in-store only deal.

While the $20 off is already a solid price for the Google Home Mini, the included $10 gift card results in a net price of only $19.

Amazon is likely to offer a lower price for a 32-inch TV this year, but $89.99 is still a steal for a set of this size.

The $50 savings for the HERO5 is already solid, but the included Target gift card valued at $50 makes this a Star Deal. Factoring in the gift card, the net price is only $299.99.

The first real Black Friday deal for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus comes from Target. Receive a free $250 gift card when activating an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus. This is a similar deal to what Target and other retailers offered last year on the iPhone 7. Unfortunately, the iPhone X is not included.

Like the iPhone deal, there is no direct discount on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus at Target on Black Friday this year. Regardless, the $300 Target gift card makes this a great deal if you are in the market for one of these phones.
Target Black Friday 2017 Tips
Target's REDcard is an essential accessory for any successful shopping strategy at Target on Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With it you'll enjoy an additional discount of 5% on every order when using your REDcard online or at your local store. Combine this with already low Black Friday prices and it looks like Target will offer the lowest prices for many popular electronics this holiday season. ( sign-up link )

Note I'll be writing daily updates for the best holiday season sales across Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2017 so bookmark my page and check back regularly. You will also find links below to my existing coverage.
More Of My Black Friday Coverage On Forbes Amazon 'Black Friday' 2017 Deals Preview: Best Sales To Expect On Echo, Echo Dot, Fire TV, Kindle Black Friday 2017 Ads: Kohl's Best Deals Leak Best Buy 'Black Friday' 2017: Early Echo, iPhone, Galaxy Deals Microsoft 'Black Friday' 2017: Early Windows Laptop, Surface Pro, Xbox One Deals Target 'Black Friday' 2017: Buyer's Guide And Early Best Deals Samsung 'Black Friday' 2017: Early Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, QLED HDTV Deals Walmart 'Black Friday' 2017: The First Apple, Microsoft, Samsung Deals Best Apple iPhone X Deals: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint

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Target 'Black Friday' 2017 Ad Leaks: The Best Apple, Google, Samsung Deals

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Black Friday 2017 is just weeks away and following the Kohl's ad reveal last week , 's deals have now leaked on BestBlackFriday.com . The Black Friday ad gives away big savings on Apple's iPhone 8, Google's Home Mini, Microsoft's Xbox One, Samsung's Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8, GoPro cameras and more.

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Netflix raises prices to follow the viewers expectations of may Netflix series.

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Streaming giant Netflix ( NFLX) is raising prices ahead of the premiere of its second season of the nostalgic 1980s-themed blockbuster "Stranger Things," scheduled to be released on Oct. 27. Netflix last hiked U.S. prices in October 2015.

The company confirmed in a statement that it will keep its basic plan price at $7.99 per month. Prices for what it calls its "standard" plan will rise by $1 to $10.99 per month and "premium" plans will rise by $2 to $13.99.

The prices go into effect for new members signing up for plans beginning on Oct. 5. Current subscribers will be notified about increases on Oct. 19, and the company said "the price change will roll out to members over the course of the next several months."

Why is Netflix raising prices?

The increases are being driven by Netflix's desire to fatten its profit margins as it spends more money to finance a critically acclaimed slate of original programming that includes franchise shows such as "House of Cards," ''Orange Is The New Black" and "The Crown," in addition to "Stranger Things."

Those series' success helped Netflix land more Emmy award nominations than any TV network besides HBO this year. It's also the main reason Netflix's U.S. audience has nearly doubled since the February 2013 debut of "House of Cards" kicked off its expansion into original programming.

But paying for exclusive TV series and films hasn't been cheap. Netflix expects to spend $6 billion a year alone on programming this year, and the expenses are likely to rise as it competes against streaming rivals such as Amazon, Hulu, YouTube and, potentially, Apple for the rights to future shows and movies.

Both Amazon (at $99 per year, or about $8.25 per month) and Hulu ($10 per month) now offer lower prices than Netflix.

Possibility of price increase backlash

Netflix believes its price rate is justified by recent service improvements, such as a feature that allows people to download shows onto phones or other devices to watch them offline.

But Netflix subscribers have rebelled against price increases in the past, most notably in 2011 when the company stopped bundling its streaming service with its DVD-by-mail service, resulting in price increases of as much as 60 percent for customers who wanted both plans. Netflix lost 600,000 subscribers and its stock price plummeted by 80 percent in the subsequent backlash. The company rebounded strongly, though, propelling its stock from a split-adjusted low of $7.54 in 2012 to about $184 now.

And Netflix blamed a temporary slowdown in subscriber growth last year on the lifting of its price freeze on long-time customers who decided to drop the service rather than pay slightly more money.

Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Wedbush believes less than 10 percent of current subscribers will cancel Netflix as prices rise again, but he predicts it will be tougher to attract new customers who will choose cheaper alternatives from Amazon or Hulu.

Netflix stock rose more than 3 percent in Thursday's morning trading session as investors cheered the news. Netflix will report third quarter earnings on Oct. 16.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Netflix raises prices ahead of "Stranger Things" return

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Streaming giant Netflix ( NFLX) is raising prices ahead of the premiere of its second season of the nostalgic 1980s-themed blockbuster "Stranger Things," scheduled to be released on Oct. 27. Netflix last hiked U.S. prices in October 2015. The company confirmed in a statement that it will keep its basic plan price at $7.99 per month.

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Snapchat is planning to redesign their app completely.

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The demand for plane tickets decrease after Hurricane Irma due to the spike in prices.

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As Hurricane Irma continues toward Florida, people potentially in the storm's path have been rapidly booking flights and changing existing flights to leave town earlier. As a result of the ticketing surge, airlines' dynamic pricing models are presenting some customers with flight options that cost thousands of dollars more than usual, leading to accusations of price gouging.

Over the past couple of days, people searching for any remaining flights out of Southern Florida airports have been posting screenshots to Twitter of their highly inflated potential itineraries. One woman using Expedia was shown a Delta itinerary between Miami and Phoenix for $3,258. (Delta later directly reached out to her and she was able to book a seat at a lower price.) Someone else trying to book on American found their flight jumped almost $600 within the span of a couple hours. Another on United's website was presented with a round trip fare between Miami and Denver for $6,785.

So, what's going on? Are the airlines price gouging people who are trying to get out of Hurricane Irma's way? "This is what happens when thousands of people want to leave a place all at once," says Seth Kaplan, managing partner of Airline Weekly. Kaplan, who is a Florida native himself, says the prices are due to website algorithms that automatically adjust fares in real time. The algorithms take into account a complicated structure of not only how many tickets are left at different fare and travel classes, but what others are offering similar flights at, and of course, supply and demand.

It's this last portion that's impacting people trying to leave Florida the most. The final few tickets are the most expensive on any flight for a number of reasons: perhaps only first class is left, lower fare classes have run out, or it's likely the flight will be overbooked. People are now running into a combination of all of these problems as they try to book last-minute flights out of Florida, all around the same time. Additionally, according to Kaplan, unfortunate timing is also at play. "It's a low-travel period after Labor Day," he says, "so there were already less seats available now than last week. You're facing a lower supply and surging demand."

It's a worst-case scenario for automatic airline systems

It's basically a worst-case scenario for automatic airline systems that are presenting, very literally, the last few seats available on flights. (Kaplan even notes that smaller, regional airlines like Allegiant that aren't listed on services like Kayak are also mostly sold out.)

What can airlines can do in this type of situation? Some have added additional flights, but there's only so much that can logistically be done within such a short window of time. "It's like Christmas," says Chris Lopinto of ExpertFlyer.com, "except instead of having five months to figure things out, you're trying to figure this out over the course of five days."

Lopinto also says airlines can file different fares every hour, so they have the ability to bring down the price for tickets. Some airlines have committed to capping the prices of remaining direct flights. JetBlue and American both said they are selling remaining direct flights this week for $99, while Delta is capping direct flights at $399. These flights, though, were already sold out or nearly sold out. As of 4:21PM ET, ExpertFlyer.com showed just one seat available on JetBlue from Fort Lauderdale to New York over the next couple of days.

United hasn't said it will also cap prices, but it does appear they have started filing different fares. While on the phone with Lopinto, he looked up the same Miami to Denver flight that was found earlier at a price of $6,785. It was now listed at just above $700. Five minutes later, when he searched again, it was gone. Someone bought it.

Ultimately, even with the extra push from airlines, there simply aren't enough seats available. If you still need a flight, look now, or start planning to drive.

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Irma is wreaking havoc on plane ticket prices

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As Hurricane Irma continues toward Florida, people potentially in the storm's path have been rapidly booking flights and changing existing flights to leave town earlier. As a result of the ticketing surge, airlines' dynamic pricing models are presenting some customers with flight options that cost thousands of dollars more than usual, leading to accusations of price gouging.

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Papa Johns and Dominos have increased their customers due to the fact that they have become an online company for the convenience of the customers.

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Forget plastics. If someone in Hollywood does a remake of "The Graduate," there's a new word beginning with the letter P that Mr. McGuire should say to Benjamin.

"Pizza."

Exactly how do I mean? There does seem to be a great future in pizza. Will you think about it?

Domino's just reported strong sales and earnings on Thursday. Same-store sales in the U.S. were up a stunning 10.7% in the fourth quarter.

The stock soared 12% on the news to an all-time high and is up 18% so far in 2016. That's a lot of dough (sorry) in a market that's been as smelly as anchovies (sorry again) this year.

Meanwhile, Domino's rival Papa John's reported results on Tuesday that would make its Super Bowl champion endorser Peyton Manning proud. Overall same-store sales rose 3.4%, led by a more than 5% jump internationally.

The stock shot up nearly 10% on Wednesday and is also in positive territory for 2016.

Both stocks have been doing well for quite some time. They've each trounced the broader market over the past five years.

Papa John's has gained more than 300% while Domino's is up nearly 700%. The S&P 500 is up just 46%.

The companies are clearly benefiting from the seemingly insatiable appetite that Millennials have for pizza.

Data provided to CNNMoney last year by PayPal -owned money transfer service Venmo showed that pizza was the most popular thing 20-somethings spent their money on.

And the two big pizza chains have aggressively gone after these consumers by bulking up their digital offerings to make it easier to order their favorite pie.

Domino's has been particularly successful. The company said Thursday that more than half of its U.S. sales came from digital channels at the end of last year.

In addition to its smartphone app, Domino's customers can order from Ford cars using the automaker's Sync technology, Samsung smart TVs and Pebble smartwatches. They can also tweet or text a pizza emoji.

Papa John's is also touting its better ingredients as more and more consumers focus on what's in the food they eat.

The company announced in December that the chicken on its pizzas would be antibiotic free by this summer. The company followed that up last month with a promise to remove artificial flavors and synthetic colors from its entire menu.

Domino's and Papa John's are also taking advantage of the weakness at Pizza Hut. Yum Brands , the owner of Pizza Hut, recently reported that Pizza Hut's sales barely rose last year.

Analysts are expecting healthy levels of sales and earnings growth for the first quarter as well.

That makes sense given the big sporting events at the beginning of the year, most notably the Super Bowl and next month's NCAA college basketball tournament. Pizza and TV watching go together like peanut butter and jelly. (But no PB&J pizza please. Yuck!)

So I understand why the stocks are doing as well as they are -- even though I personally don't find the food from these chain pizza companies to be all that appealing. But hey. I live in Brooklyn ... where good pizza is pretty easy to find. By the slice.

CNNMoney (New York) First published February 25, 2016: 12:54 PM ET

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Pizza party! Domino's and Papa John's are killing it

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"Pizza." Exactly how do I mean? There does seem to be a great future in pizza. Will you think about it? Domino's just reported strong sales and earnings on Thursday. Same-store sales in the U.S. were up a stunning 10.7% in the fourth quarter.

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Ads between vacation apps are causing shifts in demand due to the quality and affordability within the apps.

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If you're looking to book a vacation, let's be honest. There's not too much of a difference between searching for flights and hotels on Priceline, TripAdvisor and Expedia. The companies seem to know that too. So does Wall Street. And investors are worried.

Shares of Priceline plunged 13% and TripAdvisor was down more than 20% on Tuesday after reporting their latest earnings and disappointing outlooks after the closing bell Monday.

Both companies have had to ramp up their marketing and advertising spending to attract customers. That seems to be coming at the expense of future profits.

Priceline spent more than $4 billion on various types of advertising and marketing in the first nine months of the year -- up more than 20% from the first three quarters of 2006.

It spent $1.5 billion alone in the third quarter. The company has been aggressively promoting its Booking.com unit in particular.

And TripAdvisor spent $683 million on selling and marketing expenses in the past nine months, a 17% increase from a year ago.

Related: Confident Americans are rushing to book trips

Both companies spent more than half their revenues on marketing and advertising in the first nine months of the year, a testament to how brutally competitive the business is.

Just think about all the TV and online ads you see for Priceline and its subsidiaries as well as TripAdvisor and Expedia.

Priceline lowered its profit outlook for the fourth quarter Monday, partly due to the increased competition. And TripAdvisor warned that it expects revenue growth to slow in the coming months.

This news follows a disappointing earnings report from Expedia late last month. Expedia also is in the midst of a management transition after former CEO Dara Khosrowshahi left to take the top job at Uber.

What's interesting to note is that while the travel search and booking business is having a rough time right now, the fundamentals for the overall leisure industry are actually strong.

Hotel chains Marriott and Hilton have surged this year and are trading near record highs. Cruise line Carnival has had a strong 2017 and its rival Royal Caribbean posted strong earnings Tuesday as well. People are taking vacations.

But all three online travel companies are dealing with tough competition from Google as well. The search giant bought travel software firm ITA in 2011 and Google has been ramping up its travel presence ever since.

Related: New Uber CEO, formerly of Expedia, is an outspoken Trump critic

In fact, travel research firm Skift recently estimated that Google's travel search business is worth $100 billion, which would make it the most valuable travel company.

Priceline, which also owns Kayak, Cheapflights and OpenTable, is worth about $82 billion.

Airbnb is increasingly viewed as a threat for the online travel giants too. Priceline CEO Glenn Fogel was asked on the earnings call about competition from "instantly bookable vacation rentals."

And although the analyst and Fogel did not mention Airbnb by name, it seemed clear they were talking about the house and apartment sharing Silicon Valley unicorn, which is now worth nearly $30 billion.

"I'm not naïve. I recognize we are not the leader in this space right now," Fogel said. "We are the leader overall for accommodations of all types of properties, but there is a competitor who is a little bit bigger and doing a little bit better, I suspect, than we are in this area."

Still, Wall Street seems to think that Priceline has a better chance of going toe to toe with Airbnb and Google than TripAdvisor or Expedia.

Analysts at Piper Jaffray and Jefferies kept their favorable ratings on Priceline Tuesday, citing the strength of all the company's different brands and the fact that management is often overly conservative with its guidance.

But the two analysts have negative opinions about the outlook for TripAdvisor, especially since the company said Monday that it may spend even more on TV advertising next year.

CNNMoney (New York) First published November 7, 2017: 2:28 PM ET

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Ad wars are killing Priceline and TripAdvisor

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Shares of Priceline plunged 13% and TripAdvisor was down more than 20% on Tuesday after reporting their latest earnings and disappointing outlooks after the closing bell Monday. Both companies have had to ramp up their marketing and advertising spending to attract customers. That seems to be coming at the expense of future profits.

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Hospitals are losing immense amounts of money causing for cuts of doctors and quality of service.

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A strange thing happened last year in some the nation's most established hospitals and health systems. Hundreds of millions of dollars in income suddenly disappeared.

This article, part two of a series that began with a look at primary care disruption, examines the economic struggles of inpatient facilities, the even harsher realities in front of them, and why hospitals are likely to aggravate, not address, healthcare's rising cost issues.

According to the Harvard Business Review, several big-name hospitals reported significant declines and, in some cases, net losses to their FY 2016 operating margins. Among them, Partners HealthCare, New England's largest hospital network, lost $108 million; the Cleveland Clinic witnessed a 71% decline in operating income; and MD Anderson, the nation's largest cancer center, dropped $266 million.

How did some of the biggest brands in care delivery lose this much money? The problem isn't declining revenue. Since 2009, hospitals have accounted for half of the $240 billion spending increase among private U.S. insurers. It's not that increased competition is driving price wars, either. On the contrary, 1,412 hospitals have merged since 1998, primarily to increase their clout with insurers and raise prices. Nor is it a consequence of people needing less medical care. The prevalence of chronic illness continues to escalate, accounting for 75% of U.S. healthcare costs, according to the CDC.
Part Of The Problem Is Rooted In The Past
From the late 19th century to the early 20th, hospitals were places the sick went to die. For practically everyone else, healthcare was delivered by house call. With the introduction of general anesthesia and the discovery of powerful antibiotics, medical care began moving from people's homes to inpatient facilities. And by the 1950s, some 6,000 hospitals had sprouted throughout the country. For all that expansion, hospital costs remained relatively low. By the time Medicare rolled out in 1965, healthcare consumed just 5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Today, that number is 18%.

Hospitals have contributed to the cost hike in recent decades by: (1) purchasing redundant, expensive medical equipment and generating excess demand, (2) hiring highly paid specialists to perform ever-more complex procedures with diminishing value, rather than right-sizing their work forces, and (3) tolerating massive inefficiencies in care delivery (see " the weekend effect ").
How Hospital CEOs See It
Most hospital leaders acknowledge the need to course correct, but very few have been able to deliver care that's significantly more efficient or cost-effective than before. Instead, hospitals in most communities have focused on reducing and eliminating competition. As a result, a recent study found that 90% of large U.S. cities were " highly concentrated for hospitals," allowing those that remain to increase their market power and prices.

Historically, such consolidation (and price escalation) has enabled hospitals to offset higher expenses. As of late, however, this strategy is proving difficult. Here's how some leaders explain their recent financial struggles:
"Our expenses continue to rise, while constraints by government and payers are keeping our revenues flat."
Brigham Health president Dr. Betsy Nabel offered this explanation in a letter to employees this May, adding that the hospital will "need to work differently in order to sustain our mission for the future."

A founding member of Partners HealthCare in Boston, Brigham & Women's Hospital (BWH) is the second-largest research hospital in the nation, with over $640 million in funding. Its storied history dates back more than a century. But after a difficult FY 2016, BWH offered retirement buyouts to 1,600 employees, nearly 10% of its workforce.

Three factors contributed to the need for layoffs: (1) reduced reimbursements from payers, including the Massachusetts government, which limits annual growth in healthcare spending to 3.6%, a number that will drop to 3.1% next year, (2) high capital costs, both for new buildings and for the hospital's electronic health record (EHR) system, and (3) high labor expenses among its largely unionized workforce.
"The patients are older, they're sicker ... and it's more expensive to look after them."
That, along with higher labor and drug costs, explained the Cleveland Clinic's economic headwinds, according to outgoing CEO Dr. Toby Cosgrove. And though he did not specifically reference Medicare, years of flat reimbursement levels have resulted in the program paying only 90% of hospital costs for the "older," "sicker" and "more expensive" patients.

Of note, these operating losses occurred despite the Clinic's increase in year-over-year revenue. Operating income is on the upswing in 2017, but it remains to be seen whether the health system's new CEO can continue to make the same assurances to employees as his predecessor that, "We have no plans for workforce reduction."
"Salaries and wages and ... and increased consulting expenses primarily related to the Epic EHR project."
Leaders at MD Anderson, the largest of three comprehensive cancer centers in the United States, blamed these three factors for the institution's operational losses. In a statement, executives attributed a 77% drop in adjusted income last August to "a decrease in patient revenues as a result of the implementation of the new Epic Electronic Health Record system."

Following a reduction of nearly 1,000 jobs (5% of its workforce) in January 2017, and the resignation of MD Anderson's president this March, a glimmer of hope emerged. The institution's operating margins were in the black in the first quarter of 2017, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Making Sense Of Hospital Struggles
The challenges confronting these hospital giants mirror the difficulties nearly all community hospitals face. Relatively flat Medicare payments are constraining revenues. The payer mix is shifting to lower-priced patients, including those on Medicaid. Many once-profitable services are moving to outpatient venues, including physician-owned "surgicenters" and diagnostic facilities. And as one of the most unionized industries, hospitals continue to increase wages while drug companies continue raising prices - at three times the rate of healthcare inflation.

Though these factors should inspire hospital leaders to exercise caution when investing, many are spending millions in capital to expand their buildings and infrastructure with hopes of attracting more business from competitors. And despite a $44,000 federal nudge to install EHRs, hospitals are finding it difficult to justify the investment. Digital records are proven to improve patient outcomes, but they also slow down doctors and nurses. According to the annual Deloitte " Survey of US Physicians," 7 out of 10 physicians report that EHRs reduce productivity, thereby raising costs.
Harsh Realities Ahead For Hospitals
Although nearly every hospital talks about becoming leaner and more efficient, few are fulfilling that vision. Given the opportunity to start over, our nation would build fewer hospitals, eliminate the redundancy of high-priced machines, and consolidate operating volume to achieve superior quality and lower costs.

Instead, hospitals are pursuing strategies of market concentration. As part of that approach, they're purchasing physician practices at record rates, hoping to ensure continued referral volume, regardless of the cost.

Today, commercial payers bear the financial brunt of hospital inefficiencies and high costs but, at some point, large purchasers will say "no more." These insurers may soon get help from the nation's largest purchaser, the federal government. Last month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order with language suggesting the administration and federal agencies may seek to limit provider consolidation, lower barriers to entry and prevent "abuses of market power."

With pressure mounting, hospital administrators find themselves wedged deeper between a rock and a hard place. They know doctors, nurses, and staff will fight the changes required to boost efficiency, especially those that involve increasing productivity or lowering headcount. But at the same time, their bargaining power is diminishing as health-plan consolidation continues. The four largest insurance companies now own 83% of the national market.

What's more, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last week a $1.6 billion cut to certain Medicare Part B drug payments along with reduced reimbursements for off-campus hospital outpatient departments in 2018. CMS said these moves will "provide a more level playing field for competition between hospitals and physician practices by promoting greater payment alignment."

The American healthcare system is stuck with investments that made sense decades ago but that now result in hundreds of billions of dollars wasted each year. Hospitals are a prime example. That's why we shouldn't count on hospital administrators to solve America's cost challenges.

Change will need to come from outside the traditional healthcare system. The final part of this series explores three potential solutions and highlights the innovative companies leading the effort.

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Why Major Hospitals Are Losing Money By The Millions

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A strange thing happened last year in some the nation's most established hospitals and health systems. Hundreds of millions of dollars in income suddenly disappeared. This article, part two of a series that began with a look at primary care disruption, examines the economic struggles of inpatient facilities, the even harsher realities in front of them, and why hospitals are likely to aggravate, not address, healthcare's rising cost issues.

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Two markets, the largest eyeglass frame maker and the largest lens maker are trying to merge.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The world's biggest eyeglass frame maker is planning to merge with the largest lens maker in a tie-up U.S. antitrust experts fear will be bad news for consumers, but could still be approved.

France's Essilor (), the prescription lens maker, has asked U.S. regulators to bless its merger with Italy's Luxottica (), the leading frame maker, to create a company that would produce everything from Ray-Bans to Giorgio Armani frames, and be the top U.S. eyeglass retail outlet as well as a leading provider of vision insurance.

No eyeglass company in the United States - the biggest market for both firms - would come close.

Opponents of the deal include not only smaller rivals, but also the U.S. Democratic Party which noted that eyeglasses were increasingly difficult to afford and said the industry was an example of one that has "seen rising concentration that deserves careful scrutiny, and enforcement."

Smaller rivals and optometrist groups worried about higher prices in their shops have met with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) staff to express concerns over the deal, according to a source familiar with the process. The eyeglass makers fear losing access to inputs such as lenses, according to two sources familiar with the process.

"There are clear problems here," said David Balto, a former FTC official now in private practice. "This (the deal) will make the problems worse."

U.S. antitrust enforcers rarely seek to stop these soup-to-nuts vertical deals - where a dominant company seeks to own steps along a supply chain - since it is difficult to write a lawsuit that proves that they directly raise prices. Antitrust enforcers must prove in court that a deal will hurt consumers.

But vertical mergers often have indirect, pernicious effects on the giants' smaller competitors in a way that leads to higher prices. Frame makers may not get the lenses they want, for example, if the new, bigger company withholds sales, according to two industry experts who asked not to be named to protect business relationships.

Despite this, six of seven antitrust experts said the deal was likely to be approved since the companies specialize in different aspects of the business. Still, several also expressed concern about the creation of an eyeglass giant with outsized clout.

"I would be surprised if they (the FTC) sued to block it. They might put some conditions on it," said Caroline Holland, a veteran of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. "A Democratic administration would have been more skeptical of this merger and more likely to block it."

Essilor and Luxottica spokespeople said that the deal was pro-competitive and said in similar statements that they were working with the FTC.

EU INVESTIGATES

The merger has already been approved by the competition authorities in several countries including India, Japan and New Zealand.

But European Union antitrust regulators opened a full-scale investigation in September - suspended in October while it waits for data - saying the deal may reduce competition and lead to higher prices. The final outcome there could hinge on concessions the two companies make.

Diana Moss, president of the American Antitrust Institute, worried that the combined company would refuse to sell to rival frame and lens makers. "Smaller frame rivals and smaller lens manufacturers are going to struggle. (The consumer) they'll pay higher prices," she said.

Luxottica, with Burberry, Chanel and Ralph Lauren frames, has 40 to 50 percent of the U.S. frame market, according to an industry and regulatory expert who spoke on background to protect business relationships.

Essilor has about 40 percent of the U.S. lens market, according to an industry executive who spoke privately to protect business relationships. Other lens makers, Carl Zeiss Group and HOYA Group, are considerably smaller.

Both companies declined to give U.S. market share data.

The two companies are the biggest U.S. retail eyeglass sellers. Essilor is No. 1 with Vision Source, a group of 3,300 optometric practices, while Luxottica, owner of Pearle Vision and LensCrafters is No. 2, according to the trade publication VisionMonday.

Luxottica also owns EyeMed Vision Care, the second-largest U.S. vision benefits company. EyeMed steers people who need glasses to Luxottica retail outlets, angering rival frames and lens makers, according to industry sources.

Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Chris Sanders and Susan Thomas

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medical equipment : supplies and distribution (trbc)

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Eyewear mega deal could hurt U.S. consumers, but still be approved

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The world's biggest eyeglass frame maker is planning to merge with the largest lens maker in a tie-up U.S. antitrust experts fear will be bad news for consumers, but could still be approved. France's Essilor (), the prescription lens maker, has asked U.S.