Built to Change
A French designer eyewear brand founded in 2017 by brothers Abbas and Fares Manai, bloobloom is an eye care brand created to alter the way people buy glasses. Here, RLI speaks exclusively to Co-Founder Abbas Manai about the growth of the company and how they continue to disrupt the traditional eyewear market.
The mission of bloobloom is simple; to make premium-quality eyewear and professional eye care accessible, without the traditional mark-ups or the complicated, old-school experience. They achieve this through design and a strong focus on technology.
Today the business operates eight stores across London and they are located in Canary Wharf, Carnaby, Covent Garden, King’s Road, Marylebone Village, White City, Spitalfields and Notting Hill.
Speaking about their portfolio, Abbas highlights that the Notting Hill store opened its doors in February this year, unveiling a 900sq ft space at 172 Portobello Road, which continued their London expansion with a strong service proposition alongside the full collection.
“Another recent opening was our Spitalfields site, which launched in May last year at 41 Brushfield Street. The 615sq ft space was designed to feel like a calm Mediterranean escape and delivers the full bloobloom experience: frames, styling and eye care in one place,” comments Abbas Manai, Co-Founder of bloobloom. “A slightly older but landmark opening for us was the Covent Garden site which opened in April 2023 on James Street. The 1,413sq ft store offers two eye examination rooms, a format that reflects how seriously we take clinical service in-store.”
Geographically, the strategy for the company is to grow city-by-city and build density where the brand and service model work best, then scale responsibly. Having focused on London to begin with, they are now looking at other major UK cities. As for product, they stay anchored to what customers come to them for, eyeglasses and sunglasses, with a clear proposition that is supported by services like free eye tests, free home trials and virtual try-on.
As we move on to the topic of guest experience both in and out of stores, Abbas says that they treat this as one joined-up journey that includes great service and no pressure through expert guidance, styling support, fittings and aftercare; clinical trust through in-store eye exams with trained optometrists, delivered efficiently and comfortably and omni-channel continuity, so that whether the customer journey started online or in-store, it is designed to be seamless.
“We started with a digitally-led mindset and have doubled down on it. Online, we have built conversion around confidence. Tools like virtual try-on and our free home trial help customers choose the right frame without friction. Meanwhile on social platforms, we focus on what people actually want: styling inspiration, newness and education, while keeping the brand tone consistent with the in-store offering.”
A leading topic in the retail world today is the use of AI and its influence in the sector. Abbas feels that AI will push retail towards smarter personalisation, operational efficiency and better service. More specifically in eyewear, technology that increases fit and prescription confidence, such as virtual try-on and measurement/record systems, can remove major pain points from the category.
Sustainability is another key factor in customer choice and for bloobloom, sustainability is built into the entire brand operation, not something that is bolted on. The business is Climate Neutral certified and they have publicly committed to measuring their footprint, offsetting it and most importantly, reducing future emissions through greener energy suppliers and material choices. The company also runs the charitable give-back program Pair for Pair; meaning for every pair sold, a pair is donated to someone in need, supporting access to eye care through partners such as Vision Action.
The business has seen a lot of success in quite a short period of time and the Co-Founder feels that three things have really driven this growth.
“Firstly I would say our value and design offering of premium glasses at a straightforward, accessible price point, without traditional retail inflation has allowed us to stand out in a competitive market. Our exceptional service offer is something we are very proud of and in a sector as complex as optics, this can only be achieved through a strong focus on technology. Finally, I feel our Pair for Pair and Climate Neutral certification initiatives are tangible commitments that customers appreciate today and they also trust that these are not just marketing ploys by the business.”
With so much still going on in the present, the company still keeps one eye on the future and what lies ahead is scaling through more doors, a broader reach and continued investment in technology, while staying true to the experience that made people fall in love with bloobloom in the first place.
In line with this, the brand’s biggest challenge is maintaining consistency at speed: keeping service levels high, clinical quality and brand feel exceptional as the footprint grows, especially in a category where trust matters as much as style.
“Our ambition is not just to sell more glasses. It is to set a new standard for what eyewear retail feels like; warm, design-forward spaces with real clinical credibility, powered by a modern digital journey and grounded in responsibility through initiatives like Pair for Pair and climate commitments,” concludes Abbas.
