Bloomberg Businessweek answers the question, "Who will be the Warby Parker of contact lenses?"
Answer: Warby Parker.
According to the story, the company has unveiled "Scout, a line of daily contact lenses. It’s the first time Warby Parker Retail Inc., whose $95 tortoiseshell frames are ubiquitous in coworking spaces and third-wave coffee shops, has expanded beyond eyeglasses since Gilboa and co-Chief Executive Officer Neil Blumenthal started the company almost a decade ago. At $440 for a year’s supply, the lenses will be slightly cheaper than many daily contacts but will be sold with what Warby says will be a much improved ordering process."
Some context from:
"If anyone could make contact lenses cool, it would be Warby Parker. The company is often credited with creating the direct-to-consumer craze. (“Direct to consumer” is a fancy term for product makers who eschew wholesalers and sell their stuff on the internet.) Investors have pumped enormous sums into millennial-friendly businesses marketed as “the Warby Parker of X.” Allbirds, Casper Sleep, Dollar Shave Club, and Glossier—the Warby Parkers of sneakers, mattresses, razor blades, and makeup, respectively—each achieved valuations of $1 billion or more thanks to clever social media marketing and clean-looking websites. Those are the most successful Warby clones, anyway. There are also Warby Parkers of short-shorts (Chubbies), vitamins (Care/of), dog toys (BarkBox), and untucked buttoned-downs (Untuckit)."
Answer: Warby Parker.
According to the story, the company has unveiled "Scout, a line of daily contact lenses. It’s the first time Warby Parker Retail Inc., whose $95 tortoiseshell frames are ubiquitous in coworking spaces and third-wave coffee shops, has expanded beyond eyeglasses since Gilboa and co-Chief Executive Officer Neil Blumenthal started the company almost a decade ago. At $440 for a year’s supply, the lenses will be slightly cheaper than many daily contacts but will be sold with what Warby says will be a much improved ordering process."
Some context from
"If anyone could make contact lenses cool, it would be Warby Parker. The company is often credited with creating the direct-to-consumer craze. (“Direct to consumer” is a fancy term for product makers who eschew wholesalers and sell their stuff on the internet.) Investors have pumped enormous sums into millennial-friendly businesses marketed as “the Warby Parker of X.” Allbirds, Casper Sleep, Dollar Shave Club, and Glossier—the Warby Parkers of sneakers, mattresses, razor blades, and makeup, respectively—each achieved valuations of $1 billion or more thanks to clever social media marketing and clean-looking websites. Those are the most successful Warby clones, anyway. There are also Warby Parkers of short-shorts (Chubbies), vitamins (Care/of), dog toys (BarkBox), and untucked buttoned-downs (Untuckit)."
- KC's View:
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I don't have experience with contacts because I have a congenital eye problem that prevents me from wearing them. But as I understand it, this move creates several challenges for Warby Parker. One of them is medical - it is a lot harder to craft contacts than glasses. The other is marketing - Warby Parker is a fashion business, and contact lenses by their very nature are not a fashion accessory.
That said, I'll be very interested to see how this works out. I love Warby Parker - I love the choice, the prices, the instore atmosphere, the helpful employees … in fact, the whole experience. And I love the idea that the company is challenging itself in this way, taking a risk.
