COASTAL CONTACTS APPOINTS GORDON HOWIE, CA, AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Vancouver, British Columbia – July 19, 2011 — Coastal Contacts Inc. (TSX: COA; NASDAQ OMX: COA) the worlds largest online retailer of eyeglasses and contact lenses announced today that Gordon Howie, CA, has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Howie brings more than twenty five years of senior finance experience to Coastal, including roles as Vice President, Finance, Sales and Administration, Rogers Communications, Director of Finance, Nintendo of Canada and Chief Financial Officer, Eyemasters/Lens Crafters of Canada Limited.

In his most recent role at Rogers Communications Mr. Howie was responsible for an annual operational budget of $800 million. He provided strategic guidance to the retail business unit through a rapid expansion where sales grew from $100 million to over $450 million annually. Elements of that expansion included acquisition of competitors, regional store consolidation and back end system readiness to support the growth, including inventory, supply chain, point of sale and financial reporting systems.

"We are pleased to have Gordon join the Coastal team as we continue to build the world class infrastructure and systems designed to support our goal of becoming the World’s Optical Store," stated Roger Hardy, Coastal’s Founder and CEO. "His experience with Rogers Communications during a period of rapid growth will be beneficial as Coastal continues to invest in our rapidly growing eyeglasses category. Gordon also brings seven years of experience as the CFO of Eye Masters, a leading Canadian retail optical chain which was subsequently acquired by LensCrafters Canada Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Luxottica.

We would like to thank Glen Kayll, our former CFO, for his contributions during the past four years and wish him success in his future endeavors. Glen will act for Coastal in a consulting capacity to ensure a smooth transition."