Cubitts is a brand on a mission to revive a three-century old industry that they feel is not fit for purpose in a modern world where screens are more abundant than ever. Here, RLI sits down with Tom Broughton, Founder of Cubitts to discuss how the company is going about fixing an industry they feel is broken and how the brand continues to grow in the midst of this.
In an industry that has become staid and uninspiring, characterised by badly constructed and fitted frames, confusing and overly complicated processes and clinical and unfriendly environments, Cubitts feel it does not need to be this way.
They believe in the importance of spectacles and that they should be treated as such. They believe that they do not just offer the wonders of improved vision, but that they can become an extension of you. They believe that a perfectly fitting, well-made and well-chosen pair of spectacles should be a right, not a privilege.
“Spectacles have always fascinated me. They are one of the most personal choices you can make – they sit in the middle of your face and define how you see and how you are seen,” says Tom Broughton, Founder of Cubitts. “Unfortunately, it felt as though that as an industry it had become quite bland. Cubitts was born at my kitchen table in Kings Cross as a way to challenge that and create something new in
the industry.”
The company has come a long way since that kitchen table and now operates a dozen stores in London, Brighton, Cambridge and Leeds. Each site in the portfolio is unique and designed to celebrate its environment and the incredible people who inhabit it. Their stores are much more than physical boxes where they sell their product; they are part of the community in which they inhabit.
The effects of Covid-19 forced the company’s hand in the way they did things. Ultimately, the brand needed to be able to service their customers and provide perfect-fitting frames at the same time as maintaining their standards. To do this, they introduced remote fitting, a process that involved taking facial measurements when sending frames to customers.
They also shifted their focus to the things they could control – in particular e-commerce, but also the development of new products, investing in their technology and preparing for life after a pandemic. Meanwhile their longer term goals remain the same; they need to be flexible and nimble in achieving them.
When speaking about the store portfolio, Broughton explains that they most recently opened a store in Belgravia, which is nestled right in the heart of London. The interior design of this store is a celebration of the legacy of master builder Thomas Cubitt – not only the pioneer of Elizabeth Street, but the inspiration behind the company name.
“Just a couple of months prior to this, we launched a store in Victoria Arcade, Leeds. In addition to creating a micro-collection of three frames inspired by the city, we partnered with independent Leeds brewer Northern Monk to create a one-of-a-kind Cubitts beer. Leftover grain that would have otherwise gone to waste was used to create a bespoke pair of spectacles that were displayed in store. This was a key milestone for us as we had been searching for our perfect site in the city since 2016, so it was an honour to be opening our doors within the beautiful faience tiled clad County Arcade,” explains Broughton.
For many, choosing, owning, wearing and caring for a pair of spectacles is an incredibly considered choice, and the experience associated with that an incredibly important one. The idea behind the business is that its stores and website are designed to make that process as seamless and enjoyable as possible, becoming a true homage to the humble spectacle.
“All of our stores are unique, designed with the unique customer and environments in mind. All offer a range of services you cannot yet get online – from comprehensive eye exams, to on-site repairs and adjustments. We do not upsell and we refuse to compromise on quality,” Broughton says.
In addition, the brand provides a bespoke service for those wanting to create their own individual frames. It offers customers an opportunity to design an original frame from scratch, precise to their exact measurements, with over 300 colours to choose from. They make frames not merely for aesthetic or fit, but for vocation. In the past they have created frames for airline pilots (with slender temples to fit under an earpiece), DJs (with light sensitive lenses) and surgeons (with tight macro lenses).
“Our ethos is that we have a passionate desire to revive a broadly forgotten and unloved industry. We are all getting older and we are staring at screens for longer, and our eyesight is getting worse because of it. So the transformative role of a well-fitting pair of spectacles has never been greater – and we want to help with that,” concludes Broughton.
