LensCrafters turned the optical industry upside down 40 years ago with its glasses while you wait approach to selling eyewear and aggressive expansion of storefronts across North America.
Why change now?
The optical company continues to apply the same aggressive expansion ethos in its recent push to expand its flagship footprint.
LensCrafters recently opened its newest flagship storefront in Toronto’s famed Bloor-Yorkville retail corridor. It is the company’s fifth flagship location. All have been opened since 2020.
“As LensCrafters continues to expand in the US and Canada, we look forward to advancing the brand this year …,” says Alfonso Cerullo, President & GM of LensCrafters, North America, in a press release. “Appealing to the well-known local shopping hub on Bloor Street, the store will reflect the effortless integration of design and technology, giving customers a more individualized experience that allows them to easily browse the vast luxury assortment of both optical and sun frames.”
Cerullo expressed similar sentiments in a February press release announcing the 2023 plans for the brand’s 40th anniversary.
The Toronto flagship opened July 21 at 33 Bloor Street East in arguably Canada’s most well-known retail neighborhood: The Yorkville shopping district. The storefront is just steps away from Yonge Street, on the northern edge of Toronto’s bustling downtown core. The area is a high-end fashion destination for tourists and locals alike.
According to the press release:
The new elevated flagship will encompass the latest advanced digital technology and state-of-the-art design blending eye-catching finishes to create a dynamic customer journey. From quality eye exams to shopping for the perfect frame, the new location will showcase an expanded selection of designer eyewear styles and brands that include Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Persol, Versace, and Prada. The flagship will leverage a wide range of tools to afford customers more opportunities to meet their needs for a premium in store experience. Customers will be able to digitally explore the wide variety of EssilorLuxottica collections and brands, customize Ray-Ban and Oakley frames, and virtually try-on any frame thanks to the Virtual Mirror technology through LensCrafters’ Smart Shopper interactive in store tool.
Much like the other four flagships, the Toronto location features luxury eyewear lines from EssilorLuxottica’s vast collection of brands. Customers are presented an immersive experience featuring high-resolution digital screens and LED-wall displays.
LensCrafters opened its first two flagship stores in New York in 2020. The next opened in San Francisco in 2021, followed by a fourth flagship in 2022 in Palo Alto, CA.