Why Warby Parker Launched Scout, a D2C Contact Lens Brand

D2C pioneer Warby Parker has set its sights on replacing your optometrist with the release of Scout, a daily contact lens line.

Scout is now available online and in stores. Customers can order a six-day contact lens trial for $5, then commit to a three-month supply of contact lenses if they’re seeing 20/20.

The eye’s the limit

With Warby Parker’s strong brand, it could’ve launched a clothing or timepiece spin-off. But Warby has its reasons for keeping its eyes on eyes…

• Cofounder and co-CEO Dave Gilboa told CNBC that 40% of Warby Parker customers were already wearing contact lenses.
• Contact lenses are restocked monthly—so customers who purchase them have a longer lifetime value than those who are after a single pair of glasses.

What about health? Other direct-to-cornea businesses have come under fire for bypassing medical professionals and tweaking customer prescriptions to dispense their own lenses. Warby Parker is countering by tripling the number of optometrists available for eye exams in its 100+ stores...and selling other contact lens brands alongside Scout.