The Optical Company
The Optical Co is an Australian multi-store optical retailer and optometry provider operating 18+ locations across NSW, QLD, and VIC, selling prescription frames, contact lenses, and in-store eye exams to individual consumers, with health fund rebates and Medicare bulk billing integrated.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersSurry Hills, Australia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Optical Company does
The Optical Company (Aust) Pty Ltd, trading as The Optical Co, is an Australian multi-store optical retailer and optometry services provider headquartered in Surry Hills, NSW. Founded in 2006, the company operates 18+ retail locations across New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria (with two additional stores in Singleton and Tweed Heads announced as 'Opening Soon'), supplemented by a contact-lens e-commerce storefront serving customers Australia-wide. The customer base is comprised of individual consumers seeking vision correction, eye-health examinations, prescription eyewear, and contact lenses, with a horizontal segmentation approach and no disclosed enterprise or B2B customers.
The product portfolio is layered: prescription frames and sunglasses sourced from a broad portfolio of luxury, designer, and premium licensed brands (Tiffany & Co., Tom Ford, Prada, Versace, Ray-Ban, Oakley, Maui Jim, Nike, Calvin Klein, Lacoste); contact lenses in five modalities (daily, fortnightly, monthly, multifocal, toric) carrying the major manufacturer brands Acuvue, Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, and CooperVision; and an in-store clinical offering that includes comprehensive eye exams, Optical Coherence Tom
The Optical Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Optical Company
- Legal name
- The Optical Company (Aust) Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://theopticalcompany.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Optical Co is an Australian multi-store optical retailer and optometry provider operating 18+ locations across NSW, QLD, and VIC, selling prescription frames, contact lenses, and in-store eye exams to individual consumers, with health fund rebates and Medicare bulk billing integrated.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Optical Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Optical Retail and Optometry Services
- NAICS
- Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Offices of Optometrists (621320)
- 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), Optical & Eyewear Store-in-Store (CRAGAHAF)
Keywords
Where The Optical Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Surry Hills
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices20 records
Markets served
The Optical Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Optical Frames and Eyewear Sales: Retail sale of prescription glasses, sunglasses, and optical frames from various luxury and premium brands including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Prada, Tiffany & Co., and others.
- Contact Lens Sales: Online and in-store sales of contact lenses from brands including Acuvue, Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, and CooperVision. Available in daily, fortnightly, monthly, multifocal, and toric options.
- Eye Examination Services: Comprehensive eye exams and contact lens consultations, with Medicare bulk-billed testing available to eligible patients.
- Health Fund Rebates: Accepts health fund optical rebates from major providers including AHM, Bupa, HCF, Medibank, and nib, providing additional revenue through bulk-billed services and retail purchases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Kids Frame Package - Glasses from $199 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
The Optical Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Optical Company is an Australian optical retailer and optometry services provider operating 18+ retail stores across NSW, QLD, and VIC. It sells prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses from leading designer and mass-market brands, and delivers in-store optometry services including comprehensive eye examinations, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), retinal photography, and contact lens consultations, with Medicare bulk-billing and health fund rebate integration.
Product overview
The Optical Co is an Australian optical retailer and optometry services provider operating a network of stores across NSW, QLD, and VIC. The offering is a unified retail platform combining eyewear products (contact lenses and optical frames/sunglasses) with in-store optometry services. The core products include contact lenses across multiple modalities (daily, fortnightly, monthly, multifocal, torics) from major brands like Acuvue, Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, and CooperVision; prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses from designer brands including Ray-Ban, Prada, Oakley, Tiffany & Co., and many others; and advanced lens technologies (single vision, bifocal, multifocal, digital, occupational, safety, Stellest 2.0). Add-on lens coatings include Blue Comfort (blue light filtering), Crystal Clear, Crystal Clear Plus, Transitions light-adaptive, and Polarised lenses. Optometry services encompass comprehensive eye exams with bulk-billed Medicare options, Optical Coherence Tomography, retinal photography, and contact lens consultations. Health fund rebates through major insurers (AHM, Bupa, HCF, Medibank, nib) are integrated into the service offering.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Contact Lenses Contact lenses available in daily, fortnightly, monthly, multifocal, and toric (astigmatism) replacement modalities from major brands including Acuvue, Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, and CooperVision, sold online and in-store for individual consumers requiring vision correction.
- Prescription Eyeglasses (Optical Frames)
Quantifiable outcome
- Medicare eligible bulk billed eye tests available
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Optical Company
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Optical Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Optical Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AHM by MedibankcoreHealth fund partnership allowing customers to claim optical rebates when purchasing eyewear and eye care services at The Optical Co locations.
- BupacoreHealth fund partnership enabling customers to access Bupa optical rebates on eyewear and eye care services.
- HCFcoreHealth fund partnership providing HCF members with optical rebates on frames, lenses, and eye tests.
- MedibankcoreHealth fund partnership allowing Medibank members to claim optical rebates on eligible eyewear and services.
- nibcoreHealth fund partnership through nib First Choice Network enabling optical rebates for nib members.
- Plastic BankminorSustainability partnership where The Optical Co participates in Plastic Bank's plastic offset initiative. Plastic Bank empowers communities to stop plastic from reaching oceans, having stopped 80 million kilograms of plastic equivalent to 4 billion bottles. The partnership supports sustainable contact lens practices.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Optical Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Specsavers: Dominant Australian and global optical retail chain offering eye tests, prescription glasses, and contact lenses with a value-positioning. Competes head-to-head with The Optical Co on store network, bulk-billed eye exams, and multi-brand frame assortment.
- Oscar Wylee: Australian optical retailer combining value-priced eyewear with in-store eye exams across a growing national footprint. Directly comparable retail model with strong brand-building and aggressive store expansion, overlapping on frames assortment and bulk-billed testing.
- Bailey Nelson: Australian-born optical retailer operating a network of stores offering prescription eyewear, contact lenses, and eye exams with a strong design-led brand identity. Directly comparable as a multi-store Australian optical chain competing for the same premium-conscious consumer segment.
- OPSM: Long-established Australian optical retailer owned by EssilorLuxottica, stocking premium and luxury eyewear brands alongside optometry services. Highly comparable in-store format and premium brand portfolio, though owned by a global incumbent supplier.
- Eyecare Plus: Australian optometry franchise network with independent member practices providing eye exams and eyewear. The Optical Co has already acquired a former Eyecare Plus Wallsend location, demonstrating direct overlap and potential consolidation target.
- Laubman & Pank: Established Australian optical chain owned by EssilorLuxottica offering eye examinations and a broad range of prescription frames. Comparable regional store presence and shared reliance on luxury/premium brand licensing.
- George & Matilda Eyecare: Australian optical group formed by consolidating independent optometry practices into a unified retail banner. Comparable as a roll-up style optical platform and potential acquisition target or competitor for independent optometrists in eastern Australia.
Broad incumbents
- EssilorLuxottica: Global eyewear and vision care conglomerate that owns or distributes many of the brands The Optical Co retails (Ray-Ban, Oakley, Prada, Tiffany & Co.) and operates OPSM and Laubman & Pank. A supplier and competitor rolled into one — critical peer given vertical integration risk.
Emerging players
- Clearly (formerly Glasses Online): Australia-headquartered online optical retailer selling prescription glasses and contact lenses direct-to-consumer. Represents the digital-native competitive threat and is relevant for benchmarking e-commerce maturity in contact lens retail.
- Vision Direct: Online retailer of contact lenses and solutions in Australia, carrying the same major brands (Acuvue, Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, CooperVision). Directly competes with The Optical Co's online contact lens e-commerce channel on price and convenience.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Optical Company social profiles
Digital presenceThe Optical Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Optical Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Optical Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Optical Company M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Optical Company
What does The Optical Company do?
The Optical Company is an Australian optical retailer and optometry services provider operating 18+ retail stores across NSW, QLD, and VIC. It sells prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses from leading designer and mass-market brands, and delivers in-store optometry services including comprehensive eye examinations, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), retinal photography, and contact lens consultations, with Medicare bulk-billing and health fund rebate integration.
Is The Optical Company a public or private company?
The Optical Company is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Optical Company founded?
The Optical Company was founded in 2006. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Optical Company based?
The Optical Company is headquartered in Surry Hills, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does The Optical Company make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Optical Frames and Eyewear Sales are the primary driver. The others are contact Lens Sales, eye Examination Services and health Fund Rebates.
Who are The Optical Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Specsavers, Oscar Wylee, Bailey Nelson, OPSM, Eyecare Plus, Laubman & Pank and George & Matilda Eyecare. EssilorLuxottica is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Clearly (formerly Glasses Online) and Vision Direct.
Does The Optical Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Optical Company.
What industry is The Optical Company in?
The Optical Company's product category is Optical Retail and Optometry Services. 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.