Booming Online Sunglasses Business Plans Brick-and-Mortar Store

After several years of e-commerce success, Johnny Fly, a seller of sunwear and leather handbags, is opening a physical store in Charlotte.

John Freeman, founder of the five-year-old business, tested a temporary storefront from Black Friday through the holiday season, and things went well, the Charlotte Observer reports. He’s convinced that brick-and-mortar shopping still holds strong appeal for many consumers.

He tells the newspaper: “Eyewear is the kind of thing that you really need to try on. It’s really hard to know it, unless it’s on your face.”

His company sells sunglasses in the $74 to $120 range.

The move from purely online to a mixed “clicks-and-bricks” approach is becoming more common. For example, Warby Parker, which built its business in e-commerce, plans to open 25 stores in 2017.

Read more at the Charlotte Observer