What Optical Outlets does

Optical Outlets, operating under the legal name Eye Doctor's Optical Outlets, is a privately held retail optical chain wholly owned by VSP Vision Care and headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The company operates approximately 56 storefronts across Florida covering all major metros — Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami, Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, Gainesville, and smaller markets — and served more than 300,000 patients in 2023. Its core offering is a vertically integrated eye-care-plus-eyewear retail experience that combines board-certified optometric exams, medical eye care services, prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, and prescription and non-prescription sunglasses sold under a single retail roof.

The product portfolio spans hundreds of designer and discount frames (including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Coach, Nike Vision, Michael Kors, and dozens of others) paired with multiple lens technologies — single vision, progressive, bifocal, anti-reflective (CrystalCLEAR), photochromatic, polarized, polycarbonate, blue-light filtering, and mirrored — plus specialty contact lenses (toric, multifocal, and custom fittings). On-site clinical infrastructure includes digital refraction, OCT scans, retinal imaging, and visual field testing, supporting both routine refraction and medical eye care (dry eye, glaucoma monitoring, diabetic exams, emergency care). An Express Service capability delivers same-day or next-day glasses for a wide prescription range. The company extends fulfillment beyond physical locations through e-commerce channels buy-eyeglasses.com (online glasses) and cheapcontactsnow.com (contact lens reorders), and accepts 35+ vision insurance plans including VSP, Medicare, Medicaid, and major commercial carriers, with CareCredit and Sunbit financing available to lift basket size.

The revenue model is transaction-based retail with promotional anchor pricing ($49 exam with two-pair purchase; 2 pairs of glasses for $69.95) designed to drive foot traffic and convert into higher-margin lens upgrades, contact lens reorders, and medical eye care services. Insurance billing functions as a parallel revenue channel via in-network reimbursement. As a subsidiary of VSP Vision Care, Optical Outlets benefits from parent-company procurement scale, brand backing, and seamless integration into VSP's vision insurance referral flow, which functions as its primary indirect demand-generation engine alongside direct-to-consumer marketing, online scheduling via icarebuddy.com, and educational content. The operating model is hybrid horizontal (general consumer, family, senior) and vertical (chronic-condition eye care), with continued intra-Florida geographic densification as the primary growth lever rather than interstate expansion.

Name

Optical Outlets

Legal name

Eye Doctor's Optical Outlets

Website

https://opticaloutlets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Optical Outlets is a VSP Vision Care-owned retail optical chain operating approximately 56 storefronts across Florida, offering eye exams, prescription eyewear, contact lenses, and medical eye care to over 300,000 individual consumers, families, and seniors annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Optical Services

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (456130)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB), Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care (HLAKAKAA), Contact Lenses & Care Systems (Soft/RGP/Scleral Lenses; Cleaning/Disinfection Solutions) (HLAHAJAE)

Keywords

• Retail optical services
• Prescription eyewear
• Comprehensive eye exams
• Contact lens fitting
• Vision care retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Gainesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices25 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Eye Exams: Comprehensive eye examinations performed by board-certified optometrists, billed through vision insurance or paid out-of-pocket at promotional rates ($49 with 2-pair purchase, $69 standard). Exams include vision testing, eye health screenings, and prescription determination.
2. Prescription Eyewear Sales: Sale of prescription eyeglasses including frames and lenses. Revenue generated from frame brands (designer and discount), lens types (single vision, progressive, bifocal), and lens enhancements (anti-reflective, blue light, photochromic). Promotional pricing available ($69.95 for 2 pairs with exam).
3. Contact Lens Sales: Sale of contact lenses including daily disposables, monthly replacements, toric lenses for astigmatism, and multifocal lenses. Revenue from lens materials, brands, and replacement schedules. Includes contact lens fitting services.
4. Medical Eye Care Services: Medical eye care services including dry eye treatment, diabetic eye exams, glaucoma monitoring, and ocular infection treatment. May be billed to medical insurance for conditions like glaucoma, diabetes-related eye issues, or urgent care.
5. Vision Insurance Billing: Revenue through insurance reimbursement for services and products. Accepts VSP, Medicare, Medicaid, and most major vision plans. Handles frame allowances, exam copays, and lens benefits on behalf of insured patients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Optical Outlets operates 56 VSP-owned retail optical stores across Florida, delivering comprehensive eye exams, prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, prescription and non-prescription sunglasses, and medical eye care services (including dry eye treatment, diabetic eye exams, glaucoma monitoring, and emergency eye care) directly to consumers. Each location combines professional optometric care with a retail eyewear showroom carrying more than 500 designer and discount frames, supported by advanced diagnostic equipment (OCT, retinal imaging, digital refraction, visual field testing) and on-site Express Service for one-day eyeglass fulfillment.

Product overview

Optical Outlets is a VSP-owned retail optical chain operating as a single unified retail eye care brand with over 56 locations across Florida. The core offering centers on comprehensive eye exams and prescription eyewear, including eyeglasses (frames from designer brands like Ray-Ban, Oakley, Coach, and Nike Vision paired with various lens technologies), contact lenses (daily disposables, monthlies, toric for astigmatism, and multifocal), and prescription/non-prescription sunglasses. The product portfolio spans multiple lens enhancement add-ons including progressive/no-line bifocals, anti-reflective coatings (CrystalCLEAR), photochromatic, polarized, polycarbonate, blue light filtering, and mirrored lenses. Medical eye care services include dry eye treatment, diabetic eye exams, glaucoma monitoring, emergency eye care, and ocular infection treatment. Advanced diagnostic technology includes retinal imaging, OCT scans, visual field testing, and digital refraction. The company also offers specialty products like sports goggles, safety glasses (OSHA-compliant), pediatric eye care, senior vision care, myopia control programs, and express one-day glasses service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comprehensive Eye Exams Comprehensive eye examinations performed by board-certified optometrists that assess vision clarity and overall eye health, including screening for conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Sold to individual consumers at promotional rates ($49 bundled with 2-pair purchase, $69 standalone) or billed through vision insurance.
• Prescription Eyeglasses Prescription eyeglasses featuring hundreds of designer-brand and discount frames paired with various lens types including single vision, bifocal, and progressive lenses. Promotional pricing of 2 pairs for $69.95 (single vision). Sold to individual consumers in-store and online via buy-eyeglasses.com.
• Contact Lenses Contact lenses including extended wear, disposable, multifocal, and toric lenses for astigmatism from various brands, sold at retail with year-supply discounts. Includes contact lens fitting services and online reordering. Sold to individual consumers in-store and online.
• Prescription and Non-Prescription Sunglasses Sunglasses offering UV protection including polarized lenses and prescription options for outdoor activities, available at Optical Outlets retail locations and online. Sold to individual consumers, including outdoor enthusiasts.
• Medical Eye Care Services Medical eye care services addressing chronic and acute ocular conditions, including dry eye treatment, comprehensive diabetic eye exams, glaucoma screening and monitoring, emergency eye care for sudden blurred vision, flashes/floaters, minor injuries and foreign objects, and diagnosis and treatment of bacterial and viral ocular infections. Services may be billed to medical insurance.
• Sports and Safety Eyewear Protective eyewear including OSHA-compliant safety glasses for industrial environments and sports goggles designed for basketball, baseball, soccer, and other athletic activities. Sold to individual consumers and workers needing impact-resistant eyewear.
• Pediatric Eye Care and Myopia Control Comprehensive pediatric eye exams, early detection of myopia progression, vision screenings, and age-appropriate frame selections for children, including myopia control interventions such as corrective lenses, lifestyle adjustments, reduced screen time recommendations, and outdoor activity guidance. Sold to parents and families.
• Senior Vision Care Vision care services for older adults addressing presbyopia, cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration, including driving safety assessments and fall prevention solutions. Sold to senior patients and their caregivers.
• Express One-Day Eyeglasses Service Quick turnaround eyeglass fulfillment service that allows patients to receive new prescription eyeglasses in as little as one day for a wide range of prescriptions using on-site lab capabilities. Sold to time-sensitive individual consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300,000+ patients served annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• VSP VisioncoreOthersVSP Vision is the parent company of Optical Outlets. All 56 locations are VSP-owned, providing the strength and stability backing the retail chain. This relationship integrates Optical Outlets into VSP's vision insurance network, ensuring seamless insurance billing and patient referrals through VSP's member base.
• Vision Insurance ProviderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOptical Outlets accepts over 35 vision insurance plans including Aetna Medicare, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Humana, Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, United Healthcare, VSP, and many others. These insurance partnerships drive patient acquisition and enable covered services for insured patients.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Visionworks: Visionworks operates optical retail stores offering comprehensive eye exams, prescription eyewear, and contact lenses — comparable in store-based retail model, insurance acceptance, and breadth of frame assortment.
• America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses: America's Best is a high-volume value-positioned optical retail chain offering eye exams and discounted eyewear packages — directly comparable to Optical Outlets' promotional pricing model ($69.95 two-pair offers) and customer-acquisition approach.
• LensCrafters: LensCrafters is a large national optical retail chain owned by EssilorLuxottica offering comprehensive eye exams, prescription eyewear, and contact lenses through in-store locations — directly comparable to Optical Outlets in product mix, target customer, and store-based GTM.
• Target Optical: Target Optical operates licensed optical departments inside Target stores providing eye exams and eyewear — comparable in retail optical services, insurance billing, and consumer demographic (family and value-oriented customers).
• Warby Parker: Warby Parker is a vertically integrated DTC eyewear retailer with both online channels and physical stores offering eye exams, prescription glasses, and contact lenses — directly comparable in customer base and category, though with heavier digital weighting than Optical Outlets.
• Pearle Vision: Pearle Vision is a franchise-based optical retail chain providing eye exams, prescription eyewear, and contact lens services — comparable in retail GTM, store-based service model, and insurance billing orientation to Optical Outlets.
• Costco Optical: Costco Optical operates high-volume optical departments inside Costco warehouses offering eye exams and discounted prescription eyewear — comparable in value pricing strategy, insurance acceptance, and member-driven traffic.

Emerging players

• EyeBuyDirect: EyeBuyDirect is an online-only prescription eyewear retailer offering discount frames and lenses — overlaps with Optical Outlets on consumer eyewear purchase occasions and exerts ongoing pricing pressure on physical retailers.
• Zenni Optical: Zenni Optical is an online-only eyewear retailer competing aggressively on price with prescription glasses starting under $20 — represents the most significant digital disruptor to Optical Outlets' brick-and-mortar value proposition.
• Sams Club Optical: Sams Club Optical operates licensed optical departments inside warehouse clubs offering eye exams and value-priced eyewear — comparable on promotional pricing strategy and member-targeted retail optical positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/opticaloutlets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Optical Outlets