Helping consumers see money left in their wallets, 23-year-old James Murray Wells has shaken the British prescription glasses industry. Managing director and co-owner of Glasses Direct, Murray Wells began his no-frills web store offering specs for as low as 10 percent of the price of many high street stores. The business idea was born when Murray Wells was faced with a GBP 150 bill for glasses. At the time he was still studying and the cost was unreasonable. By contacting the lens labs directly, Murray Wells managed to get an identical pair for just GBP 7.
Clearly there was a market for an online business and shortly after Glasses Direct was created. But not without backlash from all the big players, who were furious at the extent to which Murray Wells was undercutting them. The concept is simple and easy. All that consumers need to do prior to ordering is have a copy of a prescription that is less than two years old. Alternatively, consumers can go to a local optician have their eyes tested. Following the eye test, the optician is obliged to give the consumer a copy of their prescription.
Glasses Direct specs are only available in the UK, and the US has retailers like Goggles4U and 39dollarglasses.com, but there are growth opportunities worldwide. In just two years of being in business, Murray Wells has sold in excess of 70,000 pairs of glasses. Anyone with a keen eye for business can see where this venture could lead. Pardon the pun ;-)
Website:www.glassesdirect.co.uk
Contact: enquiries@glassesdirect.co.uk
Actually, I think it should be Goggles4U, not Googles4U. Although I kind of like the idea of my own Google, too. Looks like years of searching with our favorite engine has come back to bite us. ;)
Well spotted, Chris! I guess I'm more in need of a new prescription than you are ;-)
This is actually a concept that has been around for a few years. Contact lenses online is also an extremely strong business and one that is continuing to grow each year. Here at Coastal Contacts (which also has websites serving the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and all over Europe has now delivered over 100 million contact lenses worldwide at prices so low, we've saved our customers over $100 million dollars over the past few years. Our prices are typically 50-70% cheaper than buying from an eye doctor or bricks and mortar store. The sad thing is that only a small fraction of contact lens weareres know they can buy quality brand name contact lenses online so many are stuck buying them at the higher price from their doctors. One of the challenges is, how do you get these contact lens wearers to become aware they can buy exactly what they need online and have it delivered right to their door...
A brilliant idea. I live in the UK and hadn't heard of this service. I absolutely despise paying bumped up prices for what is after all a necessity.
He should transfer the principal into the Vetinary field, another rip-of industry in the UK.
Or at least, SOMEONE should.
Great newsletter.
Pete.
its a great idea but their prices are still higher than other online stores like http://www.eyebuydirect.com/ that sell complete pair for 14.95 USD, that's what, 9 GBP ??? and they delivered to Manchester in ten days...These companies are indeed great.
www.speckyfoureyes.com has an interesting feature - the eyepod, upload your face pic then try on virtual frames on your vizog. Also, the additional coatings (anti-reflection) seem much cheaper here than other web spaces.
And they also do contact lenses.
Well i just recently brought some prescroption glasses from Specsfinder.co.uk. They cost £25.99, and included the lense, frames and free extras.. and free delivery.
I did have a look at other sites, but Specsfinder had a impressive 2000 plus range, and all frames are £12.99..
There defently worth a look, check it out..
p.s i got a 10% discount promo code, which few of my mates have already used, and it works..
Promo Code :"students"
http://www.specsfinder.co.uk
Cheers
K
Great idea but there are cheaper firms such as Spexmaniac.
Spexmaniac offer thin 1.6 index lens as standard. Where the other charge about 40 quid extra.... Look out for other hidden extras!
http://www.spexmaniac.co.uk well worth a look
All the online glasses site are more or less the same in terms of frames and prices. Only have a very mild prescription so did not bother with the thinner lenses some sites are offering for free. Eventually bought a pair of prescription glasses at £12.45 from http://www.ispectacle.com
Well pleased with the glasses and the service
There are some good high street retailers now going into discount prescription glasses and contact lenses. For example Tesco have their own opticians. I found out about them via TheGoodSpecsGuide.
http://www.thegoodspecsguide.co.uk
Linda
Brilliant site and service is Spexmaniac Ltd. I have bought 3 pairs of glasses from them now and what made it for me was the fact you don't pay extra for the 1.6 thin lens and the anti reflective as you do on the other sites - they all say cheap glasses until you add on the extras and they end up being not so cheap. Watch our for that one!
I looked at a lot of sites and chose nuglasses at http://www.nuglasses.co.uk. They seemed to have a lot of nice frames with a lot more lens options than most. Also I could upload my photo and try them all on. And what was important to me was that I could a call them seven days a week. Actually I called them on a Sunday and the girl was very helpful. With online suppliers like this which give a good service, the high street opticians will not be able to rest on their laurels.
Just tried Vita Optical at http://www.vitaoptical.co.uk who have a great choice of frames and also donate money from every sale to treat blindness in developing countries. My glasses arrived in the post in about a week and look great.
Tesco is very very good but still cannot beat quality/price of www.eyebuydirect.com - 10 quid delivered to cambridge.
i have rp and my glasses don'tchange. could i get some made from the old glasses.
http://www.site4eyes.co.uk have cheap prescription glasses from £15 and designer frames from £45 - including Calvin Klein, FCUK, Nicole Farhi, DKNY and Ralph Lauren - and are currently offering discount sunglasses tints: "Half Price UV400 Coating"!
But hurry, as this special offer ends this month ...
Other extras are available, including a 'Try Before You Buy' service, at additional cost.
I checked out all the sites you all mentioned, but prefer glasses direct, as they had some great coloured frames, although I admit they do charge £15 for tint, which some others don't. But the others had "cheaper" looking frames at the same price or cheaper, if that makes sense?
Glasses2you provides discount eyeglasses, reading glasses and discount prescription glasses online from just £15.00. Our discount eye wear collection contains quality prescription glasses, prescription spectacles and cheap reading glasses online.
We are a conventional bricks and mortar qualified opticians store BUT we charge the same and lower prices than most if not all online glasses and contact lenses retailers.
www.smart-spex.com
Many thanks for your comments Madhury jeevanath
we have now changed our web address to http://www.ispectacle.co.uk Prices are still the same from £12.45 including lenses
Thanks for the info Chris but just ordered another from http://www.ispectacle.com. Looking forward to receiving my Prada Glasses. Many Thanks
For lens quality which is something a lot of us don't think about there are differences between suppliers. Brilliantspecs do Essilor lenses which are known for their quality, also free of charge. glasses start from £20 but for first orders there's a 10% discount at the moment. www.brilliantspecs.co.uk
i've also tried vita optical. with all the competition out there this is one to be avoided. sent my frames 5 weeks ago (status:- processing) still have nothing back and they've stopped responding to emails and don't have a phone number.
they suck like alot
UK based suppliers of quality cheap glasses and cheap prescription spectacles and bespoke reading glasses online. Prescriptions are entered into the web site, glasses are chosen and then received by post
http://www.spex2you.co.uk/