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Thread: Warby Parker

  1. #1
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    Warby Parker

    I had a customer come in a few days ago with 2 Warby Parker frames that he purchased while in New York at one of the bricks & morter locations. He said that people were lining up out the door to get in. Not sure if it was the Grennich or Soho location he was talking about but I did find it interesting. Sold him a pair of Hoya Mystyle ID lenses with EX 3 AR for his every-day pair and a pair of free-form polarized AR sunglass lenses for his other ones.

    Regards,
    Golfnorth

  2. #2
    Eyes eastward... Uilleann's Avatar
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    Long live the Chinese BEAST! Way to go WP! Perhaps it should be called the Optical Dragon of the East?

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    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Bronze Supporter
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    Remember (TTBOMK) that the WP store sells other products besides eyeglasses. Also it is New York City and a great deal of people, like your client are there just for shopping.

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    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Barry Santini's Avatar
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    Warby Parker is currently in what I call their "Krispy Kreme" stage of customer infatuation.

    The IPO for Krispy had EVERYONE crawling over one another to by the stock. Everybody was gonna eat donuts and more donut 4 Evuh!

    You know how that turned out.

    B
    Last edited by Barry Santini; 11-13-2013 at 04:17 PM.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Santini View Post
    Warby Parker is currently in what I call tehir "Krispy Kreme" stage of customer infatuation.

    The IPO for Krispy had EVERYONE crawling over one another to by the stock. Everybody was gonna eat donuts and more donut 4 Evuh!

    You know how that turned out.

    B
    Well I must say that their B & M locations are strategically located and according to their website do employ opticians.
    Can't ever see them being mainstream and I have no idea how their RX work stacks up against Z, CC and the like.

    Regards,
    Golfnorth

  6. #6
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    I wish they had a location near me!

    I'd love to work for them!

  7. #7
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    The retro look/style days are numbered. I am surprised it has stuck around this long.

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    Also I did fill a prescription here in miami and the quality of the frame is pretty disappointing.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by 9520g View Post
    The retro look/style days are numbered. I am surprised it has stuck around this long.
    Evidence? I see no indication from manufacturers or customers that the style is anything but alive, kicking, and continuing.

  10. #10
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    i see their frames fairly regularly since two of my shops are like 15-20 minutes away. Bad China made quality and their frames are almost always falling of the faces of their client. I am getting sick of servicing these folks and then have WP getting on the hype. That is why i started a thread about starting a web business myself.

  11. #11
    My Brain Hurts jpways's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Browman View Post
    Evidence? I see no indication from manufacturers or customers that the style is anything but alive, kicking, and continuing.
    For the vast majority of manufacturers they tend to be reactive to market trends. I happen to agree that we're getting relatively close to the end of the retro age, now I don't think it's very near term, but I expect by Vision Expo East 2015 (maybe even West 2014) when I go between the booths, the larger manufacturers are still going to have 1 or 2 retro lines but they're going to be talking about the next thing, what that is I don't know (no one has ever accused me of having a fashion sense), but I'm pretty sure we are past the peak of retro sales (though the curve has definitely flattened compared to the growth phase).

  12. #12
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    From Yelp a 2 star review for WB 15 reviews


    Hoboken, NJ


    9/19/2012
    I took my huband to their show room for his bday so he could pick out some new frames that he wanted. Upon arrival we weren't sure if we were in the right building because there's no signage outside. Once finally inside, a girl at a desk geeted us and told us we could look around. There were a bunch of stuck up bougie/hipsters hogging the help of whoever worked there, which you can't even tell who did cause they don't wear name badges. (It bothered me to hear one staff members helping a couple she knew tell them that she lies and just tells cupstomers the glasses look good on them regardless of what they look like...not really the type of person i want helping me if im trying to make a decision on what glasses to wear everyday)! It really wasn't that busy, but no one came up to us to see if we needed any help or anything. We both wound up picking out some frames and wanted to make our purchases. It seems you can't purchase them there and have to do it through the internet anyway. I finally got someones attention, who said she'd be right with me to help me with the order, but didn't come around for about 10-15mins. so i just did it all myself on their computer. She finally came around to measure us and said we'd get our glasses in about a week.
    Fast forward a week, and we finally got charged for both pairs of glasses so we thought, okay great, they'll finally be here soon! Only to receieve an email the next day saying that the prescription our doctor had was already two years old and that they needed an up to date prescription in order to make our glasses and that we would not be charged for them....even though they already had made the charge. Both our prescriptions have been the same for the past 6 years so we didn't think we needed an updated precription to order from them but i guess we were wrong. eventually they refunded us the money they said they wouldn't charge us and we told them to toss the order out the window, cause after our experience, we'd rather go to a real optical shop and get some real glasses from people who offer real customer service!
    NEED AN OPTICIAN MUCH? Also a lot of the negative reviews are that if they got the glasses, they did not fit well or didn't hold the adjustments they got. Most people are pleased that if the go to get an adjustment elsewhere and they are charged, they just need to take a picture of the receipt for refund by WP


  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by SeaU2020 View Post
    From Yelp a 2 star review for WB 15 reviews


    Hoboken, NJ


    9/19/2012
    I took my huband to their show room for his bday so he could pick out some new frames that he wanted. Upon arrival we weren't sure if we were in the right building because there's no signage outside. Once finally inside, a girl at a desk geeted us and told us we could look around. There were a bunch of stuck up bougie/hipsters hogging the help of whoever worked there, which you can't even tell who did cause they don't wear name badges. (It bothered me to hear one staff members helping a couple she knew tell them that she lies and just tells cupstomers the glasses look good on them regardless of what they look like...not really the type of person i want helping me if im trying to make a decision on what glasses to wear everyday)! It really wasn't that busy, but no one came up to us to see if we needed any help or anything. We both wound up picking out some frames and wanted to make our purchases. It seems you can't purchase them there and have to do it through the internet anyway. I finally got someones attention, who said she'd be right with me to help me with the order, but didn't come around for about 10-15mins. so i just did it all myself on their computer. She finally came around to measure us and said we'd get our glasses in about a week.
    Fast forward a week, and we finally got charged for both pairs of glasses so we thought, okay great, they'll finally be here soon! Only to receieve an email the next day saying that the prescription our doctor had was already two years old and that they needed an up to date prescription in order to make our glasses and that we would not be charged for them....even though they already had made the charge. Both our prescriptions have been the same for the past 6 years so we didn't think we needed an updated precription to order from them but i guess we were wrong. eventually they refunded us the money they said they wouldn't charge us and we told them to toss the order out the window, cause after our experience, we'd rather go to a real optical shop and get some real glasses from people who offer real customer service!
    NEED AN OPTICIAN MUCH? Also a lot of the negative reviews are that if they got the glasses, they did not fit well or didn't hold the adjustments they got. Most people are pleased that if the go to get an adjustment elsewhere and they are charged, they just need to take a picture of the receipt for refund by WP

    Looking at Yelp!, the majority of the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Their SoHo location has 4/5 with 40 reviews; the Lafayette location 4.5/5 with over 150 reviews.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by jpways View Post
    For the vast majority of manufacturers they tend to be reactive to market trends. I happen to agree that we're getting relatively close to the end of the retro age, now I don't think it's very near term, but I expect by Vision Expo East 2015 (maybe even West 2014) when I go between the booths, the larger manufacturers are still going to have 1 or 2 retro lines but they're going to be talking about the next thing, what that is I don't know (no one has ever accused me of having a fashion sense),
    80s/90s influenced frames. Look for zyls to continue to dominate the market. Zyl double bars are already beginning to creep into the marketplace; watch them closely.

  15. #15
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    Agreed. I feel kind of sorry for them for getting a bad review because they didn't know a prescription has an expiration date.

  16. #16
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    these guys are a marketing machine, its incredible. I think they will come to realize that their growth will be constrained by their chosen exclusive business model of shutting out independent ECPs.
    Either they open up 500 stores and run a vertically integrated chain like lenscrafters or they sell frames to ECPs to expand the brand. Staying as a pure web play, it seems to me, will bottle neck their sales, and with the investor $$ they have in play, someone wants big growth. Another track they might take would be to remain online and get into other commodities, and not only eyeglasses, though that doesn't often work out. we'll see.

  17. #17
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Barry Santini's Avatar
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    Two Warby's came in this week. Both were made while client's child was at college. Bother were previously made Digital SV in an abbe-freindly lens. Now, they're looking through crappy poly at 7-9mm above the OC in a new, trendy tall shape. Kid says they can't see.

    I wonder why.

    Parent says "I know you always do good lenses."

    Go figure.

    B

  18. #18
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Barry Santini's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Browman View Post
    Looking at Yelp!, the majority of the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Their SoHo location has 4/5 with 40 reviews; the Lafayette location 4.5/5 with over 150 reviews.
    You will find the most reviews for an optical business located in a major metro area that depends on walk-in traffic.

    Much satisfaction is tied to the inverse price rule. I don't fault Warby, and they will move up in price. The problem has been too many ECPs playing "capture the client."

    The day of reckoning for subscribing to this approach is nigh.

    B

  19. #19
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    We have had 4 patients come in recently with wp glasses. We ended up putting new lenses in 3 of them due to poor oc placement. Also sold a new pair to, 2 of them. I openly talk to them about their purchase and how they are able to cut out the "greedy middle man" by not providing a quality fit and having to pay to employ said individual! They all agree and said they will not be ordering from them again. At this point, I feel they have a looong way to go before they can have any impact against offices that provide quality pt care.

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    warby has also made it clear that unbranded (at least non-fashion branded) or "house branded" frames with contemporary styling at at the RIGHT price will be appreciated by a large segment.
    ECPs need to source frames more proactively, not just from the Lux reps or other local reps who show up at your door.
    There are a lot of factories who will deal direct with you, for small volume orders. Not no-volume orders (not "one-zees") but small.
    You too can purchase frames in Asia at the same price, or near the same price, as warby.
    There are quality goods available at great prices compared to what we pay distributors and the big behemoths for their licensed out rented labels.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by optimensch View Post
    warby has also made it clear that unbranded (at least non-fashion branded) or "house branded" frames with contemporary styling at at the RIGHT price will be appreciated by a large segment.
    ECPs need to source frames more proactively, not just from the Lux reps or other local reps who show up at your door.
    There are a lot of factories who will deal direct with you, for small volume orders. Not no-volume orders (not "one-zees") but small.
    You too can purchase frames in Asia at the same price, or near the same price, as warby.
    There are quality goods available at great prices compared to what we pay distributors and the big behemoths for their licensed out rented labels.

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by optimensch View Post
    warby has also made it clear that unbranded (at least non-fashion branded) or "house branded" frames with contemporary styling at at the RIGHT price will be appreciated by a large segment.
    ECPs need to source frames more proactively, not just from the Lux reps or other local reps who show up at your door.
    There are a lot of factories who will deal direct with you, for small volume orders. Not no-volume orders (not "one-zees") but small.
    You too can purchase frames in Asia at the same price, or near the same price, as warby.
    There are quality goods available at great prices compared to what we pay distributors and the big behemoths for their licensed out rented labels.
    thanks for the suggestion. Do you know of any i could get in touch with?

  23. #23
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    your best bet is to go to a good international show (mido is pretty good) and visit the asian section, where there will be a lot of suppliers. You can see quality, selection and the factory's competence - some do acetate better some do injection better etc...
    The Chinese factories very much appreciate a personal relationship, to meet you and see some serious interest. There is no substitute for that.
    You also need to establish what MOQs are and how you want to manage style/color selection.
    There are some factories with stock inventory (these are not always the nicest designs), but generally you need to plan ahead because it is easily 4 month delivery time.

  24. #24
    OptiWizard
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    Although I resent the inference of "greedy middleman", WP has done an excellent job marketing themselves. The hipster look is in style for the sheep these days. But they haven't quite won people over on their medical competence it seems. I've had people like the style, buy the frames then come to me for proper measurements and competent opticianry. Perhaps the eyecare market is largely not the rubes the internet imagines them to be.

  25. #25
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    Redhot Jumper That is where you check it out -------------------->

    Quote Originally Posted by optimensch View Post

    ECPs need to source frames more proactively, not just from the Lux reps or other local reps who show up at your door.
    There are a lot of factories who will deal direct with you, for small volume orders. Not no-volume orders (not "one-zees") but small.

    You too can purchase frames in Asia at the same price, or near the same price, as warby.
    There are quality goods available at great prices compared to what we pay distributors and the big behemoths for their licensed out rented labels.

    That is where you check it out --------------------> http://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?...eyeglass+frame

    Some want large and others small minimum orders.

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