What Direkt Optik AB does

Direkt Optik AB is a privately held Swedish optical retail chain founded in 1992, headquartered in Stockholm and operating 33-38 physical stores across Sweden. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Dutch platform nexeye B.V., which itself has been owned by KKR since spring 2024 and groups Direkt Optik with sister brands Hans Anders (Netherlands/Belgium, ~400 stores) and eyes+more (Germany/Austria/Netherlands/Belgium, ~230+ stores), for a combined 750+ European stores targeting 1,000 by 2028.

The company's core offering is one-stop eye care: licensed optician-conducted examinations (400 SEK for glasses, 595-895 SEK for contact lenses, 250 SEK for driving-license checks), prescription eyeglasses (single-vision and progressive/multifocal), sunglasses, sports eyewear under the Driive brand, and contact lenses. Frame assortment spans budget to premium designer labels (Ray-Ban, Hugo Boss, Emporio Armani, Guess, Carolina Herrera, Tommy Hilfiger, Vogue Eyewear, Lacoste, Pierre Cardin) plus an own-brand line and the exclusive sustainable sub-brand Ciircle, whose frames are made from REGRIND-acetat (recycled unsold and used frames). Specialty lens treatments — anti-reflective coating, blue-light filter, photochromic, and night-driving filter — are bundled into complete glasses packages.

Revenue is generated primarily through in-store transactional retail sales, supplemented by a B2B företagsavtal channel serving Swedish employers required to provide screen-worker eyewear under regulation AFS 1998:5, and recurring/ancillary revenue from Chubb-underwritten glasses insurance, Resurs Bank installment payments, and free 2-year product warranties. Marketing relies on in-store traffic, an e-commerce-enabled Salesforce Commerce Cloud site, Facebook/Instagram presence, email newsletter, and a Teamtailor-powered careers blog. Promotional mechanics center on a flagship 3-for-1 offer (pay for the most expensive pair, get two free) and a Kids Deal pricing complete children's glasses from 800 SEK, potentially fully offset by state subsidies.

Name

Direkt Optik AB

Legal name

Direkt Optik AB

Website

https://direktoptik.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Direkt Optik AB is a Swedish optical retail chain operating 33-38 stores across Sweden, providing prescription glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, and licensed eye examinations. Founded in 1992, it is a subsidiary of the KKR-backed nexeye platform, which operates 750+ optical stores across five European countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical Retail

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury Eyewear (Sunglasses & Optical) (CRAKAFAG), Sport & Performance Eyewear (CRAAAKAC)

Keywords

• Prescription eyeglasses
• Optical retail
• Eye examination services
• Contact lens dispensing
• Corporate vision programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Borås

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail eyewear sales: Sale of prescription glasses (frames and lenses), sunglasses, and sports glasses through 33-38 retail stores across Sweden. Revenue is generated per transaction, with products sold at various price points including the 3-for-1 promotional offer. Includes single vision and progressive lenses with various coatings.
2. Eye examination services: Professional optician services including vision examinations (400 SEK for glasses, 595-895 SEK for contact lenses), consultations, and driver's license vision checks (250 SEK). Performed by licensed opticians at store locations.
3. Insurance products: Glasses insurance (glasögonförsäkring) underwritten by Chubb, offering coverage for damage, theft, and loss. Includes a deductible of 20% of the purchase price (minimum 150 SEK for damage, 300 SEK for theft/loss) with a cap of 1,500 SEK. Coverage is valid for 12 months.
4. Product warranty and guarantees: 2-year product warranty covering manufacturing defects on glasses. Included free with purchase. Also offers installment payment plans via Resurs Bank (Fastpriskonto) allowing customers to pay the same amount monthly until glasses are fully paid off.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Direkt Optik AB operates a chain of physical optical retail stores across Sweden, selling prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, sports eyewear, and contact lenses alongside licensed-optician eye examinations. The offering bundles product sales with service (examinations, fitting, adjustments, after-sales support), insurance (via Chubb), installment payment (via Resurs Bank), and a flagship 3-for-1 promotional offer. A parallel corporate channel supplies employers with workplace eyewear compliant with Swedish occupational vision regulations.

Product overview

Direkt Optik AB is an optical retail chain operating 33–38 stores across Sweden, founded in 1992 and now part of the nexeye group (which also includes Hans Anders and eyes+more). The company offers a unified retail platform combining eyeglasses, sunglasses, sports eyewear, and contact lenses as core products, supported by eye examination services, insurance, installment payment options, and corporate eyewear programs. Key product lines include prescription glasses with single-vision and progressive lenses, a variety of branded frames (Ray-Ban, Hugo Boss, Emporio Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, Vogue Eyewear, Carolina Herrera, Lacoste, Gant, Pierre Cardin), own-brand frames, the exclusive sustainable sub-brand Ciircle (made from recycled REGRIND-acetat), sunglasses with UV protection, sports eyewear (Driive), and contact lenses. Services include licensed eye exams, glasses insurance (via Chubb), installment payment (via Resurs Bank), the 3-for-1 promotional offer, Kids Deal for children's glasses, and corporate eyewear agreements. The portfolio is offered through physical stores, an e-commerce website (built on Salesforce Commerce Cloud), and online appointment booking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ciircle: A sustainable eyewear brand exclusively at Direkt Optik, made from recycled acetate from old and unused eyewear frames.

Products and services

• Glasögon (Prescription Eyeglasses) Prescription eyeglasses available in single-vision and progressive/multifocal lens types, fitted from in-store licensed-optician prescriptions. Available frame brands include own-brand lines plus Ray-Ban, Hugo Boss, Emporio Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, Vogue Eyewear, Carolina Herrera, Lacoste, Gant, Pierre Cardin, and the exclusive Ciircle sustainable line. Lens options include anti-reflective coating, blue-light filter, photochromic/Transitions, and Easy Drive night-driving filter. Sold to individual consumers through 33–38 retail stores across Sweden.
• Solglasögon (Sunglasses) Sunglasses offered with and without prescription lenses, including polarized, photochromic, and progressive variants. Branded assortment includes Vogue Eyewear, Emporio Armani, Lacoste, Pierre Cardin, Ray-Ban, Tommy Hilfiger, and additional designer lines. Sold to individual consumers through Direkt Optik retail stores across Sweden.
• Sportglasögon (Sports Eyewear) Sports eyewear including the Driive brand sport glasses, designed for active use during sports activities. Sold to individual consumers through Direkt Optik retail stores across Sweden.
• Kontaktlinser (Contact Lenses) Contact lenses (daily disposable, progressive, and lens care products) sold alongside examination, fitting, and consultation services performed by licensed opticians. Sold to individual consumers through Direkt Optik retail stores across Sweden.
• Synundersökning (Eye Examination) Eye examinations conducted by licensed opticians at Direkt Optik retail locations across Sweden. Service tiers: glasses eye exam (400 SEK incl. VAT, 30–60 minutes); contact-lens eye exam (595–895 SEK incl. VAT, 30–45 minutes) with new fittings at 895 SEK including a follow-up visit; driver's-license vision check (250 SEK, drop-in only). Available to individual consumers.
• Ciircle (Sustainable Eyewear Sub-brand) Ciircle is an exclusive sustainable eyewear sub-brand sold only at Direkt Optik. Frames are manufactured from REGRIND acetate, a proprietary recycled material derived from unsold and used eyewear frames, targeting eco-conscious consumers. The sub-brand is priced competitively within the designer-frame tier (frames from 1,999 SEK).
• Glasögonförsäkring (Glasses Insurance via Chubb) Annual glasses insurance underwritten by Chubb that covers damage, theft, and loss for 12 months. Deductible: 20% of purchase price (minimum 150 SEK for damage, 300 SEK for theft/loss), capped at 1,500 SEK. Sold additively to individual consumers purchasing eyewear at Direkt Optik stores.
• Arbetsglasögon / Förtagsavtal (Workplace Glasses / Corporate Vision Programs) Corporate eyewear programs (förtagsavtal) for Swedish employers to procure and administer workplace glasses (computer/digital screen glasses, safety/protective eyewear) for their employees. Compliance-driven offering addressing Swedish occupational safety regulation AFS 1998:5, which requires employers to provide eye examinations and corrective eyewear to employees who work more than one hour per day at a screen. Flexible terms with no minimum-purchase requirement, sold via direct enterprise engagement with employers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 34 optical stores across Sweden as of 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• nexeyecoreOthersnexeye is the parent company and platform of which Direkt Optik is a part. Nexeye is a successful and ambitious retail platform consisting of three affordable optical brands operating in five European countries. Nexeye is owned by investment company KKR since spring 2024. Direkt Optik operates as a subsidiary under this parent, benefiting from group scale, shared sustainability strategy, and expansion resources.
• Hans AndersminorOthersHans Anders is a sister brand under nexeye, operating approximately 400 stores in the Netherlands and Belgium. Like Direkt Optik, it focuses on affordable, accessible eye care.
• eyes+moreminorOtherseyes+more is a sister brand under nexeye, operating approximately 230 stores in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Like Direkt Optik and Hans Anders, it focuses on affordable optical products.
• ChubbcoreOthersChubb provides glasses insurance (glasögonförsäkring) underwritten specifically for Direkt Optik customers. The insurance covers damage, theft, and loss of glasses for 12 months with a deductible structure. This is a key product differentiator for Direkt Optik's customer offering.
• QIMAminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerQIMA conducts annual unannounced, objective audits of Direkt Optik's suppliers to verify compliance with the company's Code of Conduct regarding human rights, labor conditions, waste reduction, and CO2 emissions. This supports Direkt Optik's sustainability and responsible sourcing commitments.
• Dokters van de Wereld (Doctors of the World)minorOthersDirekt Optik's parent company nexeye is a partner to Dokters van de Wereld in Belgium, supporting projects to ensure people have good vision to participate in society. This is part of the group's social responsibility ambition.
• Missionvale Care CentreminorOthersnexeye has made a donation to Missionvale Care Centre in South Africa as part of its ambition to make good vision accessible and affordable for everyone. The donation supports community eye care programs in underprivileged areas.
• Resurs BankcoreOthersResurs Bank provides installment payment (delbetalning) services for Direkt Optik customers through a Fastpriskonto product. Customers can pay for glasses in fixed monthly installments. Standard credit checks are conducted in-store.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hans Anders: Sister brand under the nexeye group, operating ~400 stores across the Netherlands and Belgium. Most directly comparable to Direkt Optik because it shares the same parent, KKR ownership, affordable optical positioning, and physical-retail-led model.
• eyes+more: Third sister brand under nexeye, with ~230 stores in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Operates the same affordable optical retail format as Direkt Optik within the same corporate group and shared expansion strategy.
• Synoptik: Largest Swedish optical retail chain, competing head-to-head with Direkt Optik for the same Swedish consumers across prescription glasses, contact lenses, and eye examinations through physical stores.
• Specsavers: International optical retailer with significant presence in Sweden, offering the same one-stop value proposition (eye exams + glasses + value pricing) that Direkt Optik targets through its 3-for-1 promotion.
• Smarteyes (formerly Memira): Swedish optical retail chain specializing in refractive surgery and prescription eyewear. Competes directly with Direkt Optik in the Swedish market for vision correction services and glasses sales.

Emerging players

• Mister Spex: European online-led optical retailer with a Swedish storefront, representing the digital-disruption model that Direkt Optik currently does not match through online sales of prescription eyewear.

Regional players

• Clearly (formerly LensWay): Online optical retailer with a Swedish heritage (formerly LensWay), competing for Swedish consumers seeking lower-cost contact lenses and glasses delivered online, eroding Direkt Optik's potential digital wallet share.
• Krys: European optical and hearing care chain with stores across Scandinavia and the Benelux. Operates a similar multi-store, affordable optical retail model to Direkt Optik, though its primary geographic footprint differs.

Broad incumbents

• GrandVision (EssilorLuxottica): Global optical retail giant (parent of brands like Synoptik in some markets and many others). Represents the broad incumbent benchmark against which Direkt Optik's scale and category positioning are evaluated.
• Warby Parker: Vertically integrated DTC eyewear retailer that has set the standard for affordable, design-led optical retail outside Europe. Comparable as a strategic reference point for Direkt Optik's affordable, branded-frame value proposition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DirektOptik.AB
• Instagraminstagram.com/direktoptiksverige
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/direkt-optik-ab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Direkt Optik AB