Image Courtesy of Target
Target revealed plans to open "Warby Parker at Target" shops in five Target locations during the second half of the year.
The shop-in-shops will "offer products and services — including glasses, sunglasses, contacts, eye exams and vision tests — that are consistent with the eyewear brand’s current omnichannel experience," Target and Warby Parker said in a press release. Warby Parker at Target will also be "discoverable" on Target’s website.
The new partnership complements the expanding Target Optical business, which is offered at over 500 of Target’s nearly 2,000 stores. The Warby Parker shops will open in locations without existing Target Optical offerings and be staffed by Warby Parker employees. Prices for eyeglasses, including prescription lenses, start at $95.
“Warby Parker at Target reflects both brands' commitment to style, affordability, quality and convenience,” said Christina Hennington, EVP and chief strategy and growth officer at Target. “As we test and learn with this new partnership — bringing Warby Parker's expertise into select stores — we're enticing new consumers to discover more of Target."
Target Eyes a Strong Traffic Driver
Target has partnered on more in-store shops than its bigger competitor Walmart, including ones with CVS, Ulta Beauty, Apple, and Disney. Optical departments have become an increasingly reliable way to drive foot traffic to physical stores, as the need for in-person eye exams creates a barrier to Amazon’s entry into the prescription eyeglass market.
Costco in recent quarters has called out optical as an outperforming category. Gary Millerchip, EVP and CFO, remarked on Costco’s fourth-quarter earnings call last year that “more members have taken advantage of the exceptional values in brand name frames and sunglasses.”
Walmart last year rolled out a virtual online try-on tool while noting that its 3,000 Vision Centers have been upgraded with expanded eyewear offerings, “elevated storefronts,” and higher pay for opticians.
Warby Parker Hopes To Expand Customer Reach
Warby Parker, once an online-only retailer, ended 2024 with 276 locations, opening 41 stores last year with plans to open 45 — including the five initial Target shop-in-shops — in 2025 with a continued focus on suburban expansion. The Target partnership will extend Warby Parker’s reach, marking the first time its wares will be available outside its own stores and website.
“We know many of our customers already shop at Target for their everyday needs, and the shop-in-shop format provides an opportunity to introduce Warby Parker to even more customers who may not have engaged with us before while maintaining the exceptional customer experience and strong branding Warby Parker is known for,” said Neil Blumenthal, Warby Parker’s co-founder and co-CEO, last week on the retailer’s fourth-quarter call.
He added, “We view this as a longer-term tailwind to our business and a valuable opportunity to test and learn as we explore new ways to expand reach and accessibility while partnering with a best-in-class retailer like Target.