Is Warby Parker Misleading the public?

[Speed]

The WP has popped up in our neighborhood and I've been trying to understand exactly what products they are offering. I'm reading they are a market disrupter, but its not the first time someone has produced cheap eye-wear. So obviously its a big marketing job on the public.

The things I've noticed are:

Products made in China - yet they seem to go to great lengths to not mention that fact.
Their Titanium is a PVD coating, not solid titanium, yes, they state that, but it appears misleading, the general public doesn't know what PVD is. Not sure what the metal underneath may be. Monel ???
Sources for other materials/parts are hard to gather.
They claim private Italian Acetate company, but why don't they come out and say who it is. Seems odd/strange at best.

I'm trying to understand if final assembly is done in Italy/Germany and then they are stamping Made In...... (haven't ascertained that, or know Country of Origin Laws)

A note on Acetate : A designer/manufacture that I met at VEE a year back told me that some Chinese Acetate manufacturers are not allowing their acetate to cure properly, to do so increases costs. This is why some frames get out of adjustment so easily, e.g. The WP. We see their frames coming in for adjustment quite often, with people complaining of that issue. Made me wonder if what I was told was true.

Please look at your frames and provide contrast.

[AustinEyewear]

Please look at your frames and provide contrast.

Solid Titanium for starters. When you pick up a frame and hold it, you can see the details and feel the quality. I can ask vendor where manufacturing plant locations are located and they will tell me.

A few of our lines utilize PVD process for color or to bond Gold to a solid Titanium frame. No fake Titanium here. Warby is essentially making wearable trinkets or cheap disposable jewelry accessories. Another way to put it, they are sort of the Ikea of eyewear. You don't pass Ikea furniture down family generations as an heirloom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_vapor_deposition

[Barry Santini]

Who wants eyewear that lasts forever?

Today?

[optical24/7]

Who wants eyewear that lasts forever?

Today?

Disposability vs durability, (which should mean) Fit, function, ...flawlessly. The most used item in many peoples lives are their glasses. Many people value this...The care, attention and professional recommendation is well worth the price of admission. For some, price is king. There’s luxury...The market is huge....

There certainly will be a change in the general consumption of eye wear, how folks obtain them. But there will be a market for the non DYI’ers. The future for the independents is provide the services/products/knowledge and customer service that the cheap providers or chains can’t. Pick you niche. Be the best around at “that”.

.

[Chris Ryser]

Warby is making nothing..................they order from frame producers direct......

No fake Titanium here. Warby is essentially making wearable trinkets or cheap disposable jewelry accessories. Another way to put it, they are sort of the Ikea of eyewear. You don't pass Ikea furniture down family generations as an heirloom.

Warby is making nothing..................they order from frame producers direct, not like you do from a wholesaler. This gives them a different pricing because of quantities.

Any frame producer will lick their fingers if they can sell to a successful online seller, because they will order a few hundred or thousand frames at a time, and not a sample in each color like most regular retailers do, and then repeat one by one.

You might buy a certain frame model with a name brand on it, the onliner might get the same identical frame with another brand name on it, made in the same kitchen with the same materials, and you will never know it.

[Chris Ryser]

There certainly will be a change in the general consumption of eye wear, how folks obtain them. But there will be a market for the non DYI’ers. The future for the independents is provide the services/products/knowledge and customer service that the cheap providers or chains can’t. Pick you niche. Be the best around at “that”.

On another post I have stated that Essilor has had an increase of 11.4 % sales in the online business last year, which proves that selling system works fine and is increasing.

Above staetement is correct to a certain point. Some of the high class merchandise, high quality, and knowledgeable opticians will survive, because there are always people that appreciate that,
and can afford to do do.

However also with them, their selling prices will have to change to a more normal level, by lowering the markup that has been used in that profession forever, because of breakage, during the finishing of the products, and include an after service charge.

The selling prices will have to be changed to a lower level and after service will be charged when rendered.

That way you can also service online purchased products, which will be badly needed and is already so.

[AustinEyewear]

Who wants eyewear that lasts forever?

Today?

Maybe I answered the question in the wrong manner. Let me revise: The difference is we are not advertising or telling anyone that we have Titanium frames when the truth of the matter is that they are only 1% titanium and which is revealed in small print that won't be noticed by the non-discerning eye.

[peacebug]

How can WP ship to places like Massachusetts, where you have to be licensed to dispense glasses? They do have a physical presence in the state in downtown Boston, though that's relatively new. Why is it so hard to get a license here, and we are fined for every little thing (colleague of mine was fined $200 for not wearing a name tag, in his own store, where he was the one and only worker), yet WP can take orders, fabricate, ship (and therefore dispense) to Massachusetts without an optician even seeing it, let alone laying hands on it. How? There aren't even sales tax dollars involved here...eyewear isn't taxed.

[Chris Ryser]

How can WP ship to places like Massachusetts, where you have to be licensed to dispense glasses? They do have a physical presence in the state in downtown Boston, though that's relatively new.

Interesting....................sad...............but real.......and more of it coming.

WP is ahead of the game, and at the end of next month will be part of the newly started mainstream, initiated by the newly formed optical corporation of the merged Essilor and Luxottica with their 5,000 + already existing retail stores.