7 Ways to Compete with Warby Parker and Zenni (Without Slashing Prices)
Practical strategies for optical shops to differentiate from online retailers through service, expertise, and experience—not price wars.
The patient loved their exam. They trust you. They need new glasses. And then they walk out with their prescription and order from Warby Parker.
It happens every day in optical practices across the country. Online retailers have fundamentally changed patient expectations about eyewear. Zenni offers frames for $20. Warby Parker ships five frames to try at home for free. EyeBuyDirect runs perpetual sales.
You can’t beat them on price. But you don’t have to.
The practices that thrive in this environment aren’t trying to out-discount the discounters. They’re competing on value that online retailers simply cannot provide. Here’s how.
First, Understand What You’re Really Competing Against
It’s tempting to view online retailers as the enemy. But patients don’t see it that way. From their perspective, they’re just looking for the best combination of:
- Price: Online often wins here
- Convenience: Online wins for browsing; you win for service
- Selection: Online has infinite inventory; you have curated expertise
- Experience: You win this decisively—if you execute well
- Quality: This is where many patients don’t know what they don’t know
The key insight: patients often don’t realize what they’re giving up by ordering online until they’ve had a bad experience. Your job is to demonstrate that value before they make that mistake.
Strategy 1: Emphasize Lens Expertise (Your Biggest Advantage)
Here’s a secret that online retailers hope patients never figure out: the frame is the easy part. The lens is where expertise actually matters.
Online retailers sell basic lenses. They can technically produce progressives and specialty lenses, but without proper measurements and fitting, the results are often disappointing. Patients end up with:
- Progressive lenses with poorly positioned corridors
- Wrong pupillary distance causing eye strain
- Inadequate lens coatings for their lifestyle
- Generic lens designs that could be optimized for their prescription
How to execute:
Train your opticians to educate, not just sell. When a patient picks up their new glasses, explain what makes them special: “I measured your ocular center height precisely so your progressive corridor is in the perfect position for how you naturally hold your head. That’s why these feel so comfortable compared to what you might get online.”
Create educational content—in-office displays, handouts, or website content—explaining lens technology differences. Most patients don’t know that there are dramatically different quality levels of progressive lenses.
Position premium lenses as an investment in visual comfort, not an upsell. A patient who understands that their $300 progressive lenses will be significantly more comfortable than $80 online lenses is making an informed choice, not being sold.
Strategy 2: Make Second-Pair Sales Your Secret Weapon
Online retailers make their money on single transactions. You can make yours on relationships.
Most patients who need glasses actually need more than one pair:
- Prescription sunglasses
- Computer/office glasses
- Sports or safety eyewear
- Backup pairs
- Different looks for different occasions
How to execute:
Build second-pair recommendations into your standard workflow. After the primary pair is selected: “Now, have you thought about prescription sunglasses? With your lifestyle, you’d get a lot of use out of them.”
Run strategic promotions: “Buy one, get 50% off the second pair” keeps patients buying from you instead of ordering the second pair from Zenni.
Track second-pair attachment rate as a key metric. High-performing opticals achieve 30-40% second-pair rates.
Position second pairs as completing the solution: “You’ve invested in great primary glasses. Doesn’t it make sense to have prescription sunglasses that are just as good?”
Strategy 3: Create an Experience Worth Coming Back For
Online shopping is convenient. In-person shopping can be an experience—if you design it that way.
Think about successful retail brands: Apple, Nordstrom, Warby Parker’s own brick-and-mortar stores. They understand that the physical environment and human interaction are features, not bugs.
How to execute:
Audit your optical space with fresh eyes. Is it inviting? Well-lit? Organized in a way that encourages browsing? Or is it a cramped corner that patients rush through?
Train staff to be stylists, not just salespeople. “Based on your face shape and coloring, I’d suggest trying these three frames” is more valuable than “Let me know if you need help.”
Offer amenities that signal you value their time: comfortable seating, refreshments, mirrors throughout the space, good lighting for selfies.
Make adjustments and minor repairs pleasant and quick. Every positive interaction builds loyalty.
Strategy 4: Leverage Social Media to Showcase Your Selection
Online retailers have millions of frames. You have a curated selection chosen by experts. That’s actually an advantage—if you communicate it well.
Patients suffer from choice overload when browsing thousands of frames online. Your curated collection, presented well, can feel like a relief.
How to execute:
Feature new arrivals and frame collections on Instagram and Facebook. “Just arrived: the new [Brand] spring collection. Stop by to try them on.”
Showcase real patients (with permission) in their new glasses. User-generated content builds trust and shows your frames on real people, not models.
Create “frame of the week” or “staff picks” content that highlights your expertise and taste level.
Use Stories and Reels to show behind-the-scenes: new shipments arriving, frame styling sessions, adjustments being made. Humanize your practice.
Learn more about social media marketing for eye care practices
Strategy 5: Host Events That Online Can’t Match
Trunk shows and special events create experiences that online retailers literally cannot replicate.
How to execute:
Partner with frame vendors for trunk shows featuring expanded selections, brand representatives, and special pricing. Market these as exclusive events.
Host “style nights” for specific demographics: young professionals, seniors, kids going back to school.
Create seasonal events tied to natural buying triggers: pre-summer sunglasses events, back-to-school, holiday gift-giving.
Consider partnering with complementary local businesses: a trunk show with wine from a local shop, or a style event with a local fashion boutique.
Track RSVPs and follow up with attendees who didn’t purchase—they showed interest by attending.
Strategy 6: Train Your Team Like They’re the Product (Because They Are)
The difference between your optical and online isn’t just the frames—it’s your people. A knowledgeable, helpful optician is your ultimate competitive advantage.
How to execute:
Invest in ongoing training. Product knowledge, frame styling, customer service skills, handling objections—all of these can be improved with practice.
Role-play common scenarios: the patient who says “I’ll think about it,” the one who mentions Zenni, the one who seems overwhelmed by choices.
Create incentives aligned with your goals. If you want higher capture rates, reward improvements in that metric.
Empower staff to solve problems on the spot. A small adjustment or repair done cheerfully and immediately builds more loyalty than any discount.
Strategy 7: Optimize the Hand-Off from Exam to Optical
Many optical sales are lost before they begin—because the transition from exam room to optical is fumbled.
How to execute:
Train doctors to make warm, specific hand-offs: “Sarah in our optical is going to show you some great options for your new progressives. I mentioned you spend a lot of time on computers, so she’ll make sure we address that.”
Never say “See the front desk about glasses.” That’s not a hand-off; that’s an abandonment.
Have the optician meet the patient, ideally introduced by the doctor or tech. Personal connection matters.
Brief the optician on relevant details: lifestyle, concerns, insurance situation. The patient shouldn’t have to repeat themselves.
Make the transition seamless—no waiting in limbo between exam and optical consult.
Bonus: When to Actually Compete on Price
Sometimes price competition makes sense—but be strategic about it:
Match prices on commodity items where the product is truly identical. If a patient found the exact same frame online for less, matching might save the sale while still capturing lens revenue.
Compete aggressively on contact lens annual supplies. You can often match or beat online pricing, and capturing that recurring revenue keeps patients connected to your practice.
Offer price-match guarantees with conditions: “We’ll match any verified price on frames we carry.” This removes price as an objection without you having to actually match often.
Don’t race to the bottom on lenses. This is where your value-add is greatest. Discounting premium lenses devalues your expertise.
The Bottom Line
You won’t win every patient. Some people will always prioritize the lowest price, and that’s okay—they’re not your ideal customer anyway.
But many patients genuinely want the expertise, service, and experience that a great optical shop provides. They just need to understand what they’re getting that online can’t offer.
Focus on demonstrating that value, not apologizing for your prices. The practices that thrive against online competition are the ones that lean into their advantages rather than trying to minimize their disadvantages.
Need Help Growing Your Optical Business?
At MedTech Consulting, we help eye care practices improve optical capture rates and compete effectively in a challenging retail environment. From marketing strategy to operational improvements, we understand the unique dynamics of optical retail.
Contact us to discuss your optical performance.
Related reading: Eye Care Marketing Services | Social Media Marketing for Medical Practices
