LensCrafters Opens Palo Alto Location

LensCrafters (Mason, Ohio) opened a new flagship store July 1 in Palo Alto, Calif., according to a company press release. This new location was chosen in hopes to connect to the Silicon Valley community more.

The new location features a variety of brands and offers eye exams as well as the ability to try on frames. Relying on digital technology to enhance the customer experience, the store features colorful finishes, high-res digital screens and LED walls showcasing eyewear and campaigns, as well as a larger focus on storytelling regarding prescription lenses through its interactive apps on both touchscreens and iPads found throughout the space. A “Smart Shopper” tool will allow guests to virtually try on frames using “Virtual Mirror technology.”

The store will also house a dedicated area for Ray-Ban Stories, a new brand of “smart” glasses launched in partnership with Meta.

“With our newest flagship opening in Palo Alto, the brand is focused on making a strong impact in this market as an innovative eyewear retailer,” says Alfonso Cerullo, President, LensCrafters North America. “Appealing to the local technology hub in Silicon Valley, the store with 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 with superior lens design and technology by Essilor. The store will also leverage digital tools to afford customers more opportunities to meet their eyecare and eyewear needs.”

LensCrafters is currently one of the largest optical retail brands in North America. In 2020, the brand opened two flagships in New York City, and a third in San Francisco this past December.