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Why are glasses so expensive? The industry prefers to keep that blurry (2019)

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Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The industry prefers to keep that blurry (2019)

#61

Post by wrycoder »

adzm wrote: post #46
selcuka wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why can't a new company simply undercut the competition? They can and they do [1]. They just don't have the same marketing budget, so you don't hear as much about them. [1] https://www.zennioptical.com/

Not to mention the pupillary distance is not commonly included on optical prescriptions which creates a significant hurdle, even though it can be measured yourself or usually given when asked.

My ophthalmologist claimed he didn’t have the equipment to add PD to his prescription. Bald-faced liar.

BTW, the app is called PD Measure.

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The industry prefers to keep that blurry (2019)

#62

Post by nnoitra »

petilon wrote: post #19

Glasses are expensive because there is no competition. One company - Luxottica - owns pretty much everything. You go to LensCrafters and prices seem super expensive, so you go to Pearle Vision and that's expensive too, so you go to Target Optical and prices are still high and then you think maybe glasses are expensive, since you went to multiple stores and they all have similar prices. What you don't realize is that…

This comment slowly escalated to the point where I thought the next line would be: "They also own your eyes".

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The industry prefers to keep that blurry (2019)

#63

Post by tyrfing »

selcuka wrote: post #26
planetsprite wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why can't a new company simply undercut the competition? I don't imagine the barriers to entry are too high for manufacturing glasses, are they?

> Why can't a new company simply undercut the competition? They can and they do [1]. They just don't have the same marketing budget, so you don't hear as much about them. [1] https://www.zennioptical.com/

What they don't have is a good anti-reflective coating. If you want that, you end up back with Luxottica (Essilor.)

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The industry prefers to keep that blurry (2019)

#64

Post by EMM_386 »

I own exactly one pair of "expensive" glasses that I got from a retail chain and use as my primary pair.

I will admit, they are of much higher quality than the glasses that I order online as a back-up.

But outside of that pair, I get a print out of my prescription and go to places like www.eyebuydirect.com to get any other pairs.

The quality isn't there but we are talking about hundreds of dollars cheaper. And if anything was to happen to my main pair, I can quickly grab the $80 and I doubt anyone would even notice.

Plus, it makes wearing different styles from time to time a much more attractive offer.

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The industry prefers to keep that blurry (2019)

#65

Post by wyclif »

csomar wrote: post #39
planetsprite wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why can't a new company simply undercut the competition? I don't imagine the barriers to entry are too high for manufacturing glasses, are they?

There are two markets: The cheap, and the "brand". You either buy a "cheap" one for $10 and get a lens for it; or you go for a "brand" name like RayBan (which is Luxottica). I started buying cheap 4 years ago, and surprisingly the frame is still doing well (brand frames usually last 2-3 years)

Since Luxottica bought out RayBan, the quality has plummeted. I have a pair of original Wayfarer II's that I got years before the buyout. The plastic is noticeably higher quality, the lenses are polarized and Bausch & Lomb. And they have five barrel hinges! Built like a tank and have survived many drops. Mine are still going strong and are 'buy it for life' quality. Still going strong after 38 years...I got them when I was 16 years old and in HS for a trip to the Bahamas.

Compare that to current RayBans. Cheap plastic. Plastic lenses. Spring hinges that break quickly and don't last. And worst of all, branding everywhere. On the temple. And again on the lens. Terrible.

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The industry prefers to keep that blurry (2019)

#66

Post by rahimnathwani »

artificialLimbs wrote: post #41

I've been paying $350-400 for my high strength prescription glasses for most of my life. Last time around I heard you could order from England and get them for a fraction. Found selectspecs.com and got my -10's for ~100 shipped to my door. Not affiliated at all, just glad I don't have to pay the gouge in the US anymore.

In the UK, there are several popular online glasses retailers:

  goggles4u
  speckyfoureyes
  GlassesDirect
Currently, Glasses Direct is offering two pairs of single-vision prescription glasses for 14GBP (16USD) including shipping anywhere in the UK: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-glasses-discou...

Varifocals are also cheap (49GBP, or 57USD, for one pair).

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The industry prefers to keep that blurry (2019)

#67

Post by Aunche »

planetsprite wrote: post #23
petilon wrote: post #19

Glasses are expensive because there is no competition. One company - Luxottica - owns pretty much everything. You go to LensCrafters and prices seem super expensive, so you go to Pearle Vision and that's expensive too, so you go to Target Optical and prices are still high and then you think maybe glasses are expensive, since you went to multiple stores and they all have similar prices. What you don't realize is that…

Why can't a new company simply undercut the competition? I don't imagine the barriers to entry are too high for manufacturing glasses, are they?

I'm guessing that part of is that they have a very tight relationship with insurance. Insurance covers Luxottica much more than the budget brands, so for me personally, it's actually a similar price if I choose a frame that's on sale. I tried a pair of Zennis, but they honestly felt super low-quality compared to my other glasses, even though I got all the upgrades.

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The industry prefers to keep that blurry (2019)

#68

Post by wyclif »

petilon wrote: post #19

Glasses are expensive because there is no competition. One company - Luxottica - owns pretty much everything. You go to LensCrafters and prices seem super expensive, so you go to Pearle Vision and that's expensive too, so you go to Target Optical and prices are still high and then you think maybe glasses are expensive, since you went to multiple stores and they all have similar prices. What you don't realize is that…

Check out Shuron. USA-made and not owned by Luxottica. Superior quality zyl frames and five-barrel hinges, unlike almost everything Luxottica sells. And they are full service and have top-notch customer service—they'll fill your prescription and also send you five different frames to try on and return:

https://shop.shuron.com/

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The industry prefers to keep that blurry (2019)

#69

Post by olliej »

mixmastamyk wrote: post #12
olliej wrote: post #10

I thought it was fairly well established that optometrists make most of their income from the sale of the frames as they have little to no control over how much they get for the examination, and the lens price determined by the lens manufacturer. The frames are the only thing that the optometrists get any significant margin on. The moment you aren't buying the frame from the optometrist office the price craters, and…

Don't forget the lens and underbody coatings.

I literally stated that they don’t have significant control over the lens prices. Every optometrist is getting their lens from a relatively minor set of manufacturers, and the manufacturers price to maximize their revenue, not the optometrist.

Now I’m sure that they make a bit more money in an absolute sense from coatings, but nothing like the full $8 or whatever it costs these days.

The biggest markup items they have are the frames, as there are many different manufacturers the frame manufacturers do have to offer margins to the places that sell them.

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The industry prefers to keep that blurry (2019)

#70

Post by epmaybe »

wrycoder wrote: post #61
adzm wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention the pupillary distance is not commonly included on optical prescriptions which creates a significant hurdle, even though it can be measured yourself or usually given when asked.

My ophthalmologist claimed he didn’t have the equipment to add PD to his prescription. Bald-faced liar. BTW, the app is called PD Measure.

Ophthalmologist or optometrist? Very different, and I think the difference needs to be overstated more and more.
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