How Medium-Sized Online Retailer Lenstore Manages to Stay Competitive in Contact Lens E-Commerce

When it comes to corrective and even cosmetic eyewear, contact lenses are proving to be an increasingly popular alternative. On average, Brits tend to prefer them over traditional glasses due to their streamlined design, ease of use, visual appeal, and ability to provide sharper vision, resulting in a UK contact lens market poised to be worth over £578.30 million by the end of the decade.

One key emerging trend in this market has to do with distribution channels, as more British consumers prefer the convenience of buying their contact lenses online. Websites often offer wider selections than those available at high street opticians—and they often sell for 45% cheaper.

However, the UK’s contact lens e-commerce space isn’t just populated by major names like Vision Direct and Lens Saver UK. Amid the intense competition, medium-sized retailer Lenstore manages to remain relevant among consumers by providing a vast range of services, cementing a strong online presence, and maintaining a “family feel” for its customers all the while.

So, how is that possible for a company with just over 80 employees? Read on to find out:

Lenstore: then and now

Lenstore’s history begins in 2008, a time when buying contact lenses online was virtually unheard of. Seeing a need to provide cheaper and more convenient alternatives to procuring these vision aids, Oxford graduate Mitesh Patel launched the Lenstore website in June. Because it addressed this concern, the retailer proceeded to see exponential growth. By 2012, it clinched 10th place in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100. A year later, it had served over 100,000 customers—despite the fact that more online-only eyewear retailers were beginning to crowd the market at the time.

Today, Lenstore works out of a single location in Wimbledon, South West London and remains among the top search results for “contact lenses UK.” The site’s catalogue currently includes a number of reputable, industry-leading brands, including ACUVUE, Dailies, and Biofinity. Consumers can also choose from lenses with daily, weekly, and monthly replacement frequencies, toric and multifocal variants designed to address myopia (short-sightedness) and presbyopia (age-related farsightedness), and colour contacts for cosmetic purposes. The online-only retailer ships 94.4% of orders placed before 5 p.m. on the same day and offers next-day delivery for added convenience. Its reach has now expanded to the EU contact lens market.

How Lenstore remains competitive

One key reason Lenstore remains a top name in contact lens e-commerce can be accredited to its acquisition by global retailer GrandVision in 2013. That made it a sister company to Vision Express, a major UK optical chain. Following the renovation of its flagship store in Oxford, the high street optician, which is popular for its quality glasses and sunglasses, now offers personalised shopping services and advanced eye examinations. Thanks to the 2013 acquisition, Lenstore customers can avail of those same offerings—including free access to eye tests and eye care advice—as part of the retailer’s expanded contact lens aftercare services.

Lenstore also uses creative marketing techniques to draw more attention to its site, including conducting and disseminating eye health research. In 2021, for example, it worked with the UK website HR News to release findings related to employee eye health, which found that 77% of UK adults experience eye strain after a long day at work. The study came complete with global data, information on the most common causes of eye strain, and expert advice on how to alleviate it.

The retailer is also known for crafting a number of optical illusions and puzzles aimed at raising awareness regarding various eye conditions. That includes the 2017 brainteaser “Can you spot the Christmas pudding amongst the turkeys?,” as well as a 2024 puzzle that asked viewers to recite font colours instead of the word itself (such as “BLACK” for the word “BLUE” written in black font). These were designed to test visual skills, potentially prompt the need for eye tests and corrective aids—and, of course, establish brand recognition and recall.

However, arguably the most impactful initiatives Lenstore takes to remain competitive in the digital contact lens market involve maintaining a “family feel” to its services amid the continuing expansion of its online products and services. Its customer service team is available during opening hours to answer contact lens questions, provide tailored vision care advice, inform buyers of available upgrades to their lenses, and even send personalised reminders for lens replacement. Lenstore also makes its appreciation for customers and employees alike known, with its ‘About Us’ blurb thanking its first-ever customer—Daniela from Surrey—and its website hosting memorial pages to commemorate the achievements of past employees.

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