Cohen's Fashion Optical

What Cohen's Fashion Optical does

Cohen's Fashion Optical is a privately held, family-owned US retail optical chain operating under Cohen Fashion Optical, LLC and headquartered in Garden City, New York. Founded in 1927 by Jack Cohen as a pushcart operation on NYC's Orchard Street, the company has grown to 100+ affiliated retail locations across seven US states (NY, NJ, CT, MA, NH, PA, FL) and Puerto Rico, with a board-certified Doctor of Optometry on-site at each store. The Cohen family continues to oversee operations.

The company's core products are prescription eyeglasses (entry price $99 frame + lenses), designer sunglasses (20+ luxury brands including Gucci, Prada, Tom Ford, Ray-Ban, Dior, Cartier, Burberry), and contact lenses (Acuvue, Alcon, CooperVision), supported by comprehensive eye-exam services and specialty lenses for conditions such as presbyopia and astigmatism. Underlying technology is standard optometric diagnostic equipment plus an online appointment scheduler and referenced tele-medicine capabilities; no proprietary AI/ML systems are disclosed.

Cohen's revenue model is dominated by transactional retail sales (eyewear and contacts) and professional service fees (eye exams), supplemented by the Vision Plus corporate group discount program. Distribution combines company-owned retail with an asset-light franchise model (10% monthly royalty, $10K initial franchise fee) that handles facility buildout and franchisee conversion. End customers are predominantly individual consumers served through physical retail, e-commerce, phone/mail order, and the B2B Vision Plus channel, with payment flexibility provided through major vision insurance, FSA/HSA acceptance, and third-party financing (CareCredit, Affirm, Acima, Alpheon).

Name

Cohen's Fashion Optical

Legal name

COHEN FASHION OPTICAL, LLC

Website

https://cohensfashionoptical.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Cohen's Fashion Optical is a privately held US retail optical chain, founded in 1927 and still overseen by the Cohen family, operating 100+ franchised and company-owned stores across seven states and Puerto Rico. It sells prescription eyeglasses, designer sunglasses, contact lenses, and on-site eye exams to individual consumers and Vision Plus corporate groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical Retail

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Optical Goods Retailers (456130), Offices of Optometrists (62132), Offices of Optometrists (621320)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury & Designer Eyewear (CRAAAKAD), Sunglasses & Luxury Eyewear (CRAKAEAE), Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Devices (Frames, Lenses, Lens Edging/Finishing Equipment) (HLAHAJAD), Contact Lenses & Care Systems (Soft/RGP/Scleral Lenses; Cleaning/Disinfection Solutions) (HLAHAJAE), Sunglasses (Non-Prescription) (CRAAAKAB)

Keywords

• Prescription eyeglasses retail
• Designer sunglasses retail
• Contact lens sales
• Comprehensive eye exams
• Optical retail stores

Headquarters

HQ city

Newyork

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Prescription Eyeglasses Sales: Sale of prescription eyeglasses including frames and lenses. The company offers $99 eyeglasses promotion with frame and lenses included for select frames.
2. Sunglasses Sales: Sale of prescription and non-prescription sunglasses from designer brands.
3. Contact Lenses Sales: Sale of contact lenses including Acuvue, Alcon, CooperVision and other brands. Promotional offers include savings up to $350 on ACUVUE contact lenses.
4. Eye Exams: Professional eye exams conducted by board-certified optometrists using the latest diagnostic technology.
5. Specialty Lenses: Specialty contact lenses including multifocal, bifocal, and toric lenses for conditions like presbyopia and astigmatism.
6. Vision Plus Group Discount Program: Corporate vision care program offering discounts to employers and organizations without vision coverage. Provides $55 eye exams and discounts on eyewear for employee groups.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cohen's Fashion Optical sells prescription eyeglasses, designer sunglasses, and contact lenses through 100+ company-owned and franchised retail stores across 7 US states and Puerto Rico, supplemented by an e-commerce website. Each location provides comprehensive eye examinations conducted by board-certified optometrists using the latest diagnostic technology. The retailer also administers a Vision Plus group discount program for employers and accepts major vision insurance plans as well as FSA and HSA payments.

Product overview

Cohen's Fashion Optical operates a retail optical business offering prescription and non-prescription eyewear products and eye care services through a network of over 100 physical store locations. The product portfolio centers on three core product categories: prescription eyeglasses (featuring the $99 Frame + Lenses promotional offer), designer sunglasses (prescription and non-prescription), and contact lenses (soft daily/bi-weekly/monthly disposables). The company provides specialized add-on offerings including specialty contact lenses for presbyopia and astigmatism, advanced lens technologies (progressive, anti-glare), and comprehensive eye examination services performed by board-certified optometrists. A portfolio of over 20 luxury designer brands including Gucci, Prada, Ray-Ban, Dior, and Tom Ford anchors the fashion positioning. Supporting services include the Vision Plus corporate group discount program, FSA/HSA account acceptance, insurance plan processing, and online appointment scheduling across seven US states and Puerto Rico.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Prescription Eyeglasses Prescription eyeglasses with frames and lenses included at all 100+ store locations, featuring designer brands and a $99 promotional offer on select frames with clear plastic single vision lenses. Targeted at individual consumers who need vision correction.
• Designer Sunglasses Prescription and non-prescription designer sunglasses from 30+ luxury and premium brands including Tom Ford, Gucci, Prada, Ray-Ban, Burberry, Tiffany & Co., Maui Jim, Oakley, and others. Targeted at fashion-conscious individual consumers for both vision correction and UV protection.
• Contact Lenses Prescription contact lenses including soft daily disposables, bi-weekly, and monthly wear options from brands such as Acuvue, Alcon, CooperVision, and Clear Soft. Targeted at individual consumers seeking an alternative to eyeglasses for vision correction.
• Specialty Contact Lenses Custom specialty contact lenses for conditions such as presbyopia and astigmatism, including multifocal, bifocal, toric, and colored cosmetic lenses available in soft and rigid gas permeable materials. Targeted at individual consumers with complex vision correction needs.
• Eye Exams Comprehensive eye examinations performed by board-certified optometrists using the latest diagnostic technology across pediatric, adult, and geriatric care. Targeted at individual consumers who need vision prescriptions, eye health monitoring, and disease screening.
• Vision Plus Savings Program Corporate group discount program offering $55 eye exams (with state exceptions at $99), 25% off prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses, 10% off non-prescription sunglasses, contact lenses, and accessories. Targeted at companies and organizations without vision care coverage that want to provide discounted vision benefits to their employees.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pearle Vision: Pearle Vision is a multi-state optical retail franchise network owned by EssilorLuxottica, providing eye exams, prescription eyewear, and contact lenses in mall and street locations. It overlaps directly with Cohen's in franchise-driven retail optical, designer brand assortment, and integrated optometry services.
• Warby Parker: Warby Parker is a digitally native vertical optical brand combining e-commerce, home try-on, and a growing retail store footprint with in-store eye exams. It competes head-on with Cohen's for value-conscious and fashion-conscious prescription eyewear customers, particularly the under-40 demographic Cohen's also targets.
• LensCrafters: LensCrafters is the largest US optical retail chain (EssilorLuxottica), operating mall-based stores offering prescription eyewear, designer frames, contact lenses, and in-store optometrists. It is the closest direct competitor to Cohen's Fashion Optical in store format, brand portfolio, and integrated exam-plus-retail model.
• America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses: America's Best is a high-volume value optical chain (National Vision) offering two-pair deals, in-store exams, and a broad assortment of frames. It competes directly with Cohen's $99 eyeglasses promotional positioning and is the most aggressive price-led comparable in brick-and-mortar optical retail.
• For Eyes Optical: For Eyes is a multi-state optical retailer offering eye exams, prescription eyewear, sunglasses, and contact lenses through company-owned stores, comparable to Cohen's in store-format and product mix. Owned by GrandVision/NESPRESSO-adjacent platform, it competes in many of the same metro markets.

Emerging players

• EyeBuyDirect: EyeBuyDirect is an online-first prescription eyewear retailer offering affordable frames and lenses with virtual try-on. It is an emerging player competing for digital-native consumers who would otherwise visit a brick-and-mortar optical chain like Cohen's Fashion Optical.
• Zenni Optical: Zenni Optical is a pure-play online prescription eyewear retailer offering low-price direct-to-consumer frames and lenses. While it does not operate physical stores or in-person exams, it competes directly with Cohen's on price point for budget-conscious eyewear customers and exerts category-wide ASP pressure.

Regional players

• Sterling Optical: Sterling Optical is a US optical retail chain with a strong Northeast presence offering eye exams, prescription eyewear, and contact lenses. Its geographic overlap with Cohen's core NY/NJ/CT footprint makes it a directly comparable mall-format optical retailer.

Broad incumbents

• EssilorLuxottica: EssilorLuxottica is the global vertically integrated eyewear conglomerate that owns LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Ray-Ban, Oakley, and licensed luxury brands (Gucci, Prada, etc.). It is a broad incumbent that competes via retail chains and brand licensing agreements with Cohen's assortment.
• Costco Optical: Costco Optical is an in-warehouse optical department offering eye exams, prescription eyewear, and contact lenses at value price points. It competes with Cohen's for value-oriented customers and represents a broad incumbent threat via membership-driven foot traffic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cohensoptical
• Facebookfacebook.com/cohensoptical

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cohen's Fashion Optical