Last year, the pandemic forced many Warby Parker customers to try shopping online for their eyeglasses. Now, as online sales remain elevated, the eyewear brand is doubling down on its bricks-and-mortar strategy.
Like many retailers Warby Parker’s sales nosedived in March 2020, with its roughly 135 stores closed and consumers focusing their spending on stocking up on essentials.
However, since reopening stores last summer, the company has been aggressively expanding its bricks-and-mortar footprint and says it is on track to open 35 new stores this year. Co-founders and co-CEOs Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa said the 11-year-old business has faced down its toughest year and increased its sales.
Warby Parker raised $245 million from private investors last fall, snagging a $3 billion valuation—higher than before—and sparking talk of a possible initial public offering. The company has been profitable since 2019, according to a person familiar with the matter, but hasn’t disclosed financial results.
