Founder Roy Hessel Key people Roy Hessel, CEO Headquarters Austin Founded 2005 | Area served Worldwide Website eyebuydirect.com Owner Essilor Type of business Subsidiary | |
 | ||
Industry Prescription eyeglasses Products Prescription eyeglasses Profiles | ||
Eyebuydirect com review
EyeBuyDirect is an online retailer that sells discount prescription eyeglasses and frames. It also sells prescription and nonprescription sunglasses, sport sunglasses, and computer glasses designed to reduce glare.
Contents
EyeBuyDirect was founded in 2005 by Roy Hessel. Hessel also serves as the company’s CEO. EyeBuyDirect is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
EyeBuyDirect has operations in the United States, China and Hong Kong and sells its products worldwide.
History
EyeBuyDirect was founded in 2005 by Roy Hessel, a former venture capitalist. The company launched EyeBuyDirect.com in March 2006.
In 2007, EyeBuyDirect added EyeTry, a "try-on" function, to its site. The function allows users to upload photos and then superimpose EyeBuyDirect’s glasses overtop their photos to "try on" the glasses. The company later launched the "Wall of Frame", a social network that allows customers to share their created pictures and interact with other site users.
In February 2010, EyeBuyDirect began incorporating facial recognition technology to its site to give users the ability to measure their pupillary distance using user-submitted photographs.
In 2013, French lens manufacturer Essilor purchased a majority stake in EyeBuyDirect. Essilor had previously purchased Framesdirect.com in 2010. Hessel was retained as EyeBuyDirect CEO.
EyeBuyDirect redesigned and relaunched its website in April 2014.
EyeBuyDirect introduced EyeZen digital screen protection lenses from Essilor as an option to customers in 2016. The company still sells EBD Blue lenses.
Operations
EyeBuyDirect is an online-only retailer and designs and custom-makes all its glasses in-house. It does not carry brand name frames or lenses. According to the company, 50 percent of its revenue came from repeat customers in 2013.
Customers must have a valid prescription prior to purchasing prescription eyeglasses from EyeBuyDirect. The company sells multiple types of lenses, including bifocal, progressive, and Transitions lenses.