How Lenskart Built an Omnichannel Eyewear Empire in India

How Lenskart Disrupted India’s Traditional Eyewear Market: Identifying the Gap

Prior to Lenskart entering the market, India’s eyewear industry had an overwhelming lack of order. The optical landscape consisted of small optical shops with available styles limited to just a select few, inconsistency in price and lack of customer service. Where prescription glasses are usually too expensive for the average person, the location of the stores makes them all the more difficult to access in many cases. Lenskart identified this gap very early and positioned itself as a consumer-first company, emphasising price, convenience and trust as its core characteristics. By providing transparent pricing on all of the colours and styles of frames that can be purchased through their site, completely transparent pricing in-store, delivering the frames directly to your home, and the provision of eye examinations that will be performed in the home, the company has eliminated the three most significant barriers that exist in the eyewear purchasing process. In addition, Lenskart has targeted young adults and millennials who have been accustomed to shopping online, but have been extremely disappointed with the way in which they did their shopping at traditional retail locations. By identifying the unmet needs of the developing consumer base, the company has successfully established a strong value proposition, which allowed the company to quickly grow and expand into a marketplace wherein the consumer had been waiting for disruption.

Tech-First Strategy: Creating a Seamless Online Experience for Eyewear

Technology has been the key to Lenskart’s success plans. Lenskart invested significantly in creating a seamless online experience through its app and website, making a complex purchase like eyewear easier to make. The company’s use of technology included the development of a 3D virtual try-on feature, AI-based face mapping, and online eye tests, which encouraged first-time online buyers to make a purchase. Lenskart also utilized data analytics to understand customer behaviour and preferences, making recommendations more accurate and personalized. The company’s technology-driven supply chain enabled faster delivery and minimized errors in orders, increasing customer satisfaction. Notably, technology at Lenskart extended beyond the customer interface and enabled the backend processes of inventory management and demand forecasting.

Offline Expansion Strategy: Growing Physical Retail Locations While Preserving Digital DNA

Although Lenskart had developed solid traction in the online space, it understood that glasses are a bit of a tactile experience. Thus, to fill that gap, the company chose to develop its store footprint by aggressively adding franchise and company-owned stores. The ability to tap into the online demand for particular stores was what made Lenskart’s stores unique. They made data-based decisions about where to put their stores and had the ability to connect each store electronically so users could see an online catalog, come to the store, order out-of-stock items and get their prescription immediately. By providing services like a free eye examination and home eye test they built customer confidence and drove foot traffic into the store. Their store locations were also designed as experience centres for their customers rather than merely sales sites. This way, Lenskart seamlessly integrated the use of online data with their stores creating a rapid way to scale into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities while maintaining their technology-first brand.

Supply Chain, Private Labels & Pricing Power: The Backbone of Lenskart’s Growth

Lenskart has provided consumers with stylish eyewear at affordable prices by relying on its vertically integrated supply chain, along with a mix of private labels, in-house manufacturing and sourcing, and better quality control through reducing third-party vendors and increasing its own manufacturing capability.

As a result, Lenskart has improved its ability to develop new product designs, launch new collections quickly, and hold the same prices between various channel partners due to improved quality control and more efficient product forecasting, inventory management and centralised logistics than what has historically been found in other optical retailing companies.

Additionally, Lenskart was able to pass on savings from lower operational costs back to consumers, thereby allowing consumers greater access to eyewear. The introduction of private label products into the marketplace also provided an avenue for increasing brand recognition and improving product margins.

High level of competitive advantage provided to Lenskart by having a well-established supply chain combined with a strong pricing strategy allows the company to experience continued growth in the Indian market, which is a highly price sensitive market.

Conclusion

The success of Lenskart, an online startup that is now the leading omnichannel eyewear brand in India, is a testament to the strength of integrating technology with offline retail. By leveraging the gaps in a fragmented market, heavily investing in technology, and creating a highly integrated offline ecosystem, Lenskart disrupted the market and changed the way Indians buy eyewear. Its ability to control the manufacturing and pricing of eyewear further added to the trust and accessibility of the brand in a price-conscious market. At a deeper level, Lenskart did not just sell eyewear; it created an ecosystem where convenience, affordability, and experience come together in a seamless manner. The story of Lenskart is a clear learning experience for Indian startups and retailers. Sustainable growth comes not from choosing between online and offline but from excelling at both.