National Vision
National Vision is the fourth largest optical retailer in the US, operating 1,200+ stores across 40 states via America's Best, Eyeglass World, Vista Optical, and DiscountContacts.com, serving cost-conscious consumers, managed care patients, and military families with affordable eyewear, eye exams, and growing AI-enabled clinical and smart eyewear offerings.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersDuluth, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What National Vision does
National Vision, Inc. is the fourth largest optical retailer in the United States, operating more than 1,200 stores across 40 states and Puerto Rico under four brands: America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses (the flagship with 1,000+ locations), Eyeglass World, Vista Optical (inside select Fred Meyer stores and U.S. military bases via AAFES), and the DiscountContacts.com e-commerce platform. The company serves cost-conscious consumers, managed care and insured patients (approximately 42% of sales), and military personnel and their families, with the core value proposition centered on affordable prescription eyewear, contact lenses, and comprehensive eye exams.
The business model is a vertically integrated optical retailer with an in-store exam-plus-eyewear purchase flow, supported by an in-house lab and distribution network that enables quick turnaround on prescriptions. Pricing is not publicly disclosed but is positioned at a discount to traditional optical retail, while the company is strategically migrating up the value curve through managed care reimbursement, premium frame assortments, exclusive partnerships (Pair Eyewear customizable frames, Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses chainwide by end of Q2 2026), and AI-enabled clinical services. Technology components include a teleoptometry/remote care platform (partnered with AES) that connects patients to licensed optometrists via video and remote diagnostic equipment, and a Toku Inc. partnership for AI-powered retinal diagnostic and screening tools, with additional device integration via TopCon Healthcare.
Revenue mechanics are transaction-based, generated from optical product sales, professional eye exam services, and managed care reimbursements. The company reported FY2025 net revenue of approximately $1.987 billion (up 9% year-over-year), adjusted operating income up 56.5% to $102.5 million, and 12 consecutive quarters of positive comparable store sales growth. Q1 2026 net revenue was $543.9 million (up 6.6% year-over-year), with full-year 2026 guidance of $2.033–$2.091 billion. The company is publicly traded on NASDAQ under ticker EYE, headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, with a corporate office in Atlanta, and employs more than 10,000 people supported by a network of over 2,000 optometrists.
National Vision firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- National Vision
- Legal name
- National Vision, Inc.
- Website
- http://www.nationalvision.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- National Vision is the fourth largest optical retailer in the US, operating 1,200+ stores across 40 states via America's Best, Eyeglass World, Vista Optical, and DiscountContacts.com, serving cost-conscious consumers, managed care patients, and military families with affordable eyewear, eye exams, and growing AI-enabled clinical and smart eyewear offerings.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
National Vision industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Optical Retail
- NAICS
- Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Offices of Optometrists (62132)
- SIC
- Ophthalmic Goods (3851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB)
Keywords
Where National Vision is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Duluth
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
National Vision business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Optical Retail Sales: Revenue from selling eyeglasses, prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses through retail stores and e-commerce platform.
- Eye Exams and Professional Services: Revenue from eye examinations provided through affiliated optometrists and independent doctor practices.
- Managed Care/Vision Insurance: Revenue from vision insurance plans and managed care programs, representing approximately 42% of sales. The company has been strategically shifting toward higher-value insured customers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
National Vision product offering
Product offeringCore offering
National Vision is the fourth largest optical retailer in the United States, selling affordable prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, and sunglasses through more than 1,200 company-owned retail stores across four brands (America's Best, Eyeglass World, Vista Optical in select Fred Meyer stores and military bases, and DiscountContacts.com e-commerce). The company delivers comprehensive eye examinations through a network of over 2,000 affiliated optometrists, including remote/teleoptometry exams, and is expanding into smart eyewear and AI-assisted diagnostics.
Product overview
National Vision operates as an optical retail company with a multi-brand strategy spanning four retail brands (America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, Eyeglass World, Vista Optical, and DiscountContacts.com) and an e-commerce platform. The company provides primary eye care services including comprehensive eye exams, prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, and now smart eyewear through partnerships like Meta Ray-Ban. Their Doctor of Optometry network supports clinical operations across store locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses Value-priced optical retail chain with 1,000+ locations offering comprehensive eye exams, prescription eyeglasses, and contact lenses to cost-conscious and managed care consumers across the United States.
- Eyeglass World Optical retail brand operated by National Vision offering prescription eyewear and eye care services across 40 states and Puerto Rico.
- Vista Optical Optical retail brand located inside select Fred Meyer grocery stores and on U.S. military bases (via AAFES partnership), offering eye exams and eyewear to consumers and military personnel.
- DiscountContacts.com National Vision's online e-commerce platform for purchasing contact lenses and eye care products directly to consumers.
- Pair Eyewear Swappable Frames Customizable swappable-frame eyewear from Pair Eyewear sold exclusively through America's Best stores, allowing customers to personalize frames; bundled with eye exams via National Vision's Doctor of Optometry network.
- Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses AI-powered Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses sold at National Vision retail stores, representing the company's entry into the smart eyewear category for consumers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 9% revenue growth in fiscal 2025
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use National Vision
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
National Vision technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
National Vision partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and strategic.
- RestoringVisionminorPartnership for mission trip to Mexico City, providing vision screenings, eye exams, and eyeglasses to underserved communities.
- Sistema Nacional DIF (SNDIF)minorMexican government partnership for Mission Possible trip providing vision care to communities in Mexico City.
- AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service)coreExpanded partnership to become the sole optical retail partner on U.S. military bases, adding 20 Military stores and expanding into two additional states. Provides eyewear and eye care services to military personnel and families on base.
- VMLstrategicCreative agency partnership for America's Best major brand transformation, including new logo, brand platform, and complete visual identity launch with tagline 'Every Eye Deserves Better.'
- Pair EyewearcoreAmerica's Best became exclusive retail partner of Pair Eyewear, expanding customizable swappable-frame eyewear brand to all 1,000+ America’s Best stores. National Vision's Doctor of Optometry network designated as Pair Eyewear's official eye care provider, enabling bundled eye exams.
- 20/20 QuestminorNational Vision's sponsored charitable foundation (20/20 Quest) supporting vision care mission trips domestically and internationally.
- Toku Inc.strategicStrategic partnership to safely accelerate AI-powered diagnostic and screening tools applied to retinal imaging, potentially changing how doctors evaluate eyes to uncover serious underlying health conditions.
- TopCon HealthcarestrategicPartnership for medical devices and software solutions for the global eye care community, supporting advanced diagnostic capabilities.
- AES (Advanced Eye Services)coreAES provides qualified licensed optometrists nationwide for in-person and remote care through teleoptometry in states where permitted. National Vision partners with AES to make optometrists available to provide high-quality eye exams remotely to patients.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
National Vision competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Target Optical: Optical retail operated inside Target stores, affiliated with Luxottica. Offers eye exams, prescription eyewear, and contact lenses in a similar in-store retail model to Vista Optical inside Fred Meyer.
- EyeBuyDirect: Online eyewear retailer offering affordable prescription glasses and sunglasses. Competes with both DiscountContacts.com and National Vision's retail brands on value-tier, direct-to-consumer optical.
- Pearle Vision: EssilorLuxottica-owned optical retail chain providing eye exams, prescription glasses, and contact lenses through company-owned and franchised locations. Overlaps with National Vision's retail brands on format, customer base, and managed care acceptance.
- Warby Parker: Vertically integrated eyewear retailer combining e-commerce, own-brand frames, and a growing physical store footprint. Directly competes with National Vision across prescription glasses, contact lenses, and eye exams, and represents the most cited digitally-native threat to traditional optical retail.
- Walmart Vision Centers: Optical retail departments inside Walmart stores offering eye exams and affordable prescription eyewear. Directly competes with National Vision for cost-conscious consumers seeking convenient, value-priced vision care.
- 1-800 Contacts: Leading online retailer of contact lenses, directly competing with DiscountContacts.com. Same e-commerce-led model, replacement cycle-driven demand, and reliance on vision insurance reimbursement.
- Zenni Optical: Online-first direct-to-consumer eyewear retailer competing on ultra-low price points for prescription glasses. A key disruptor pressuring value-tier optical retailers like National Vision from the online channel.
- LensCrafters: Operated by EssilorLuxottica, LensCrafters is a large U.S. optical retail chain offering eye exams, prescription eyewear, and contact lenses. Directly comparable to America's Best and Eyeglass World in store-based optical retail, though positioned more toward mid-to-premium price points.
- Costco Optical: Optical departments inside Costco warehouses offering value-priced eyewear and contact lenses to members. Competes directly with America's Best on price-sensitive optical retail, leveraging Costco's traffic and membership base.
Broad incumbents
- VSP Vision Care: Largest U.S. vision insurance and managed care company, providing coverage plans to many of National Vision's customers. Not a retailer, but a critical payer and ecosystem participant whose network rules and reimbursement terms directly shape National Vision's economics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
National Vision social profiles
Digital presenceNational Vision financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
National Vision leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
National Vision subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
National Vision funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
National Vision M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about National Vision
What does National Vision do?
National Vision is the fourth largest optical retailer in the United States, selling affordable prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, and sunglasses through more than 1,200 company-owned retail stores across four brands (America's Best, Eyeglass World, Vista Optical in select Fred Meyer stores and military bases, and DiscountContacts.com e-commerce). The company delivers comprehensive eye examinations through a network of over 2,000 affiliated optometrists, including remote/teleoptometry exams, and is expanding into smart eyewear and AI-assisted diagnostics.
Is National Vision a public or private company?
National Vision is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was National Vision founded?
National Vision was founded in 1990. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is National Vision based?
National Vision is headquartered in Duluth, United States, in the North America region.
How does National Vision make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Optical Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are eye Exams and Professional Services and managed Care/Vision Insurance.
Who are National Vision's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Target Optical, EyeBuyDirect, Pearle Vision, Warby Parker, Walmart Vision Centers, 1-800 Contacts, Zenni Optical, LensCrafters and Costco Optical. VSP Vision Care is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does National Vision have an API?
No public API is recorded for National Vision.
What industry is National Vision in?
National Vision's product category is Optical Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAKAKAL, Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses), with a secondary code of HLAKAKAB, Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care). Its NAICS code is 45613 and its SIC code is 3851.