Eyerim is intensifying its marketing activities, and in the first quarter of 2025 it will open its first showroom in Poland in the center of Warsaw.
Eyerim enters Poland
Thanks to a wide offer and a pro-customer approach, including: express order fulfillment, virtual fitting room, no additional fees for eye tests, Eyerim has become one of the leading players in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania and Croatia.
Now Eyerim intends to repeat this success on the Vistula River, introducing the idea of rationally priced and as simple as possible online purchases of prescription glasses to Poland. Thus, he throws down the gauntlet of the traditional Polish optical industry.
Last year, Eyerim's revenues reached EUR 13.5 million (an increase of 30% y/y), of which several percent already came from the Polish market. In 2024, this share is expected to be over 20%. and continue to grow in the following years. The company is in the process of finalizing another investment round of EUR 5 million.
Slovak optical network with ambitious development plans
Eyerim, originating from Slovakia, is currently the fastest growing company in the optical industry in Central and Eastern Europe. It already operates on 8 markets in the CEE region: Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary, as well as 4 Nordic markets: Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden. The co-founders of Eyerim are Yassaman Omidbakhsh and Martin Zahuranec, who previously worked on the development of large and bold e-commerce projects in Southeast Asia.
Cheap prescription glasses. Is it possible?
– We want to show that prescription glasses can be purchased in a different way than the traditional way – easier, faster and cheaper. We believe that Polish consumers are ready for this change – they like technologies that make their lives easier, and they are willing to buy online and trust this form. This is also confirmed by our data – the sale of prescription glasses already constitutes the largest part of Eyerim's revenues from the Polish market. What's more, Poland is currently one of our three most profitable countries. Strengthening our presence on the Vistula River, the largest market in which we operate, is an important business step for us and a springboard for further development. The implementation of the planned activities is expected to bring us approx. 100% in a short time. increase in sales on the Polish market – says Martin Zahuranec, co-founder and co-CEO at Eyerim.
Eyerim's offer includes prescription glasses with all types of lenses – for driving, sports, multifocal or photochromic, as well as sunglasses and contact lenses. It offers products from over 100 well-known brands and own brands – OiO by Eyerim and Kohe by Eyerim.
Thanks to the virtual fitting room, most models can be tried on online via a computer or phone. In the case of prescription glasses, the customer can enter the parameters of the glasses manually or add their prescription as an attachment. In most cases, orders are delivered to Poland within a maximum of 3 days. The consumer can return the products within 30 days and, if this is his first order, receive a refund also for the lenses in prescription glasses, which is unusual in the optical industry. Last year, Eyerim opened its first showroom in Bratislava, where everyone can have their eyes checked for free – even if they do not make a purchase in the company's store. It plans to introduce this model in all its markets and thus – to the benefit of buyers – change current practices in the industry.
– We deeply believe that every person who needs prescription glasses should be able to buy them easily and without having to incur unreasonable costs. At Eyerim, we do everything to give consumers this opportunity. That's why we don't have a margin of several dozen or several hundred percent on the sale of glasses for prescription glasses. Moreover, to make the glasses more affordable, two years ago we launched our own laboratory where we develop high-quality, also branded, lenses for prescription glasses, including: we cut them to appropriate sizes or apply coatings. We have also introduced our own brands of glasses to the market so that customers do not have to compromise on the quality, price and appearance of the frames, explains Yassaman Omidbakhsh, co-founder and co-CEO at Eyerim.
Over the nine years of its existence, Eyerim has obtained financing worth over EUR 5 million, most of which was allocated to investments. Including, among others: for: the company's entry into 12 markets with websites in local languages, creation of an original AI-based automatic system for replenishing warehouse stocks, opening its own laboratory for processing glasses for prescription glasses and showrooms in Bratislava and Prague.
Currently, the company employs over 60 people in several countries, including Poland. Last year, its revenues amounted to EUR 13.5 million with an increase of 30%. y/y. Eyerim data for 2024 shows that the 30% growth trend will be maintained.
– Our ambition is to become the first choice of consumers looking for glasses or contact lenses in all markets where we are present and we have solid foundations for this to happen. We act according to a specific plan, but we also listen to the needs of our clients. Combining both of these approaches, we focused on an omnichannel sales method. Our entire offer is available online, but in order to give consumers the opportunity to have their eyesight checked for free and physically try on glasses, we decided to open a showroom in every country where we operate. In total, there will be 30 points over the next 3 years – first in the capitals, and later in the largest cities of a given country. The first one was established in Bratislava in April 2023 – it has been profitable from the first day, and the calendar of appointments for eye tests is constantly full. We opened another one in August this year. in Prague, and in 2025 we will appear in Warsaw – sums up Martin Zahuranec, co-founder and co-CEO at Eyerim.
